Including A Plurality Of Individual Components In A Repetitive Configuration (epo) Patents (Class 257/E27.07)

  • Publication number: 20120153432
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate, a control element provided on the substrate, a resin provided on the control element and a memory element provided above the control element. The memory element is in contact with the resin and electrically connected to the control element provided within a region therebeneath in plan view parallel to a surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yuji KARAKANE, Yoriyasu ANDO
  • Publication number: 20120153414
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes: a plurality of magnetic tunnel junction elements arranged on a semiconductor substrate; and a plurality of selection transistors electrically connected to first ends of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction elements. A plurality of first bit lines are respectively connected to the first ends of the magnetic tunnel junction elements via one or more of the selection transistors. A plurality of upper electrodes are respectively connected to second ends of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction elements. A plurality of second bit lines are respectively connected to the second ends of the magnetic tunnel junction elements via the upper electrodes. The upper electrodes extend along the second bit lines, and one of the upper electrodes is commonly connected to the second ends of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction elements arranged in an extending direction of the second bit lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Susumu Shuto
  • Publication number: 20120097208
    Abstract: Provided is a method for generating, and for connecting in series, stripe-shaped elements, wherein less space is required for the series connection as compared to the prior art.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Lambertz, Stefan Haas
  • Patent number: 8148222
    Abstract: Methods of forming an array of memory cells and memory cells that have pillars. Individual pillars can have a semiconductor post formed of a bulk semiconductor material and a sacrificial cap on the semiconductor post. Source regions can be between columns of the pillars, and gate lines extend along a column of pillars and are spaced apart from corresponding source regions. Each gate line surrounds a portion of the semiconductor posts along a column of pillars. The sacrificial cap structure can be selectively removed to thereby form self-aligned openings that expose a top portion of corresponding semiconductor posts. Individual drain contacts formed in the self-aligned openings are electrically connected to corresponding semiconductor posts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John Zahurak, Sanh D. Tang, Gurtej S. Sandhu
  • Publication number: 20120061732
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information recording/reproducing device including a semiconductor substrate, a first interconnect layer on the semiconductor substrate, a first memory cell array layer on the first interconnect layer, and a second interconnect layer on the first memory cell array layer. The first memory cell array layer comprises an insulating layer having an alignment mark, and a stacked layer structure on the insulating layer and including a storage layer and an electrode layer. All of the layers in the stacked layer structure comprises a material with a permeability of visible light of 1% or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Inventors: Takahiro HIRAI, Tsukasa NAKAI, Kohichi KUBO, Chikayoshi KAMATA, Takayuki TSUKAMOTO, Shinya AOKI
  • Publication number: 20120056298
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first power supply terminal, a second power supply terminal, and first and second capacitors. The first power supply terminal is configured to be supplied with a first electrical potential. The second power supply terminal is configured to be supplied with a second electrical potential. The second electrical potential is different from the first electrical potential. The first and second capacitors are coupled in series between the first and second power supply terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Koji Kuroki
  • Patent number: 8120067
    Abstract: An integrated circuit chip includes a semiconductor substrate having thereon a plurality of IMD layers and first conductive layers embedded in the IMD layers; a first insulating layer overlying the IMD layers and the first conductive layers; a plurality of first power/ground mesh wiring lines, in a second conductive layer overlying the first insulating layer, for distributing power signal or ground signal; and a second insulating layer covering the second conductive layer and the first insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Ching-Chung Ko, Tao Cheng, Tien-Yueh Liu, Dar-Shii Chou, Peng-Cheng Kao
  • Patent number: 8115325
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a plurality of bonding pads formed along an edge of a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of I/O cells arranged along the edge under the plurality of bonding pads; an upper layer wire mesh including a plurality of upper layer wirings; and a core region formed on the semiconductor substrate. In the semiconductor integrated circuit, the core region has an area larger than an area occupied by the upper layer wire mesh in a plane parallel to a surface of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8110855
    Abstract: An array with cells that have adjacent similar structures that are displaced from each other across a common cell border in a direction that is not perpendicular to the cell border thus avoiding an across cell border design rule violation between the adjacent similar structures. A method of forming reduced area memory arrays by displacing adjacent similar structures along a common cell border. A method of building arrays using conventional array building software by forming unit pairs with cells that are not identical and are not mirror images or rotated versions of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Theodore W. Houston, Robert R. Garcia
  • Publication number: 20120025273
    Abstract: A standard cell semiconductor integrated circuit device design provides a standard cell semiconductor device that includes first standard cells and user-defined target standard cells which consume more power or include other operational characteristics that differ from the operational characteristics of the first standard cells. The standard cells are routed to ground and power wires using one power rail and the target cells are routed to the ground and power lines using the first power rail and a second power rail to alleviate electromigration in either of the power rails. The two power rails include an upper power rail and a lower power rail. An intermediate conductive layer may be disposed between the upper and lower power rails to provide for signal routing by lateral interconnection between cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lee-Chung LU, Wen-Hao CHEN, Yuan-Te HOU, Shen-Feng CHEN, Meng-Fu YOU
  • Publication number: 20120025272
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit chip mounted on a substrate by flip chip bonding includes: a plurality of electrode pads; a corner portion of a flat periphery of an inner layer; a first linear region adjoining one side of the corner portion; a second linear region adjoining another side of the corner portion; and a third linear region adjoining a side of the first linear region opposite to the side adjoining the corner portion. A circuit core placeable region is provided in at least part of the corner portion and the first linear region. A plurality of IO cells connected to the electrode pads are arranged in the second and third linear regions. The IO cells in the second linear region are connected to the electrode pads arranged inwardly in n rows×n columns from a corner of the chip above the corner portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Shiro USAMI
  • Publication number: 20120018839
    Abstract: CMOS inverters are included in a standard cell. Power supply lines are electrically connected to CMOS inverters, and include lower layer interconnects and upper layer interconnect. Lower layer interconnects extend along a boundary of standard cells adjacent to each other and on the boundary. Upper layer interconnects are positioned more inside in standard cell than lower layer interconnects, as viewed from a plane. CMOS inverters are electrically connected through upper layer interconnects to lower layer interconnects. Thus, a semiconductor device is obtained that can achieve both higher speeds and higher integration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiro TSUDA
  • Patent number: 8101976
    Abstract: A memory system having electromechanical memory cells and decoders is disclosed. A decoder circuit selects at least one of the memory cells of an array of such cells. Each cell in the array is a crossbar junction at least one element of which is a nanotube or a nanotube ribbon. The decoder circuit is constructed of crossbar junctions at least one element of each junction being a nanotube or a nanotube ribbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Nantero Inc.
    Inventors: Brent M. Segal, Darren K. Brock, Thomas Rueckes
  • Publication number: 20120007211
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of microelectronic die packaging, particularly multi-chip packaging, wherein on-substrate modularity is enabled by using in-street die-to-die interconnects to facilitate signal routing between microelectronic dice. These in-street die-to-die interconnects may allow for manufacturing of several products on a single microelectronic substrate, which may lead to improved microelectronic die and/or microelectronic module harvesting and increased product yields.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: Aleksandar Aleksov, Arnab Sarkar, Henning Braunisch, Jerry R. Bautista
  • Patent number: 8093661
    Abstract: A silicide element separates a single crystal silicon node from an underlying silicon substrate, and is capable of acting as a conductive element for interconnecting devices on the device. The single crystal silicon node can act as one terminal of a diode, and a second semiconductor node on top of it can act as the other terminal of the diode. The single crystal silicon node can act as one of the terminals of the transistor, and second and third semiconductor nodes are formed in series on top of it, providing a vertical transistor structure, which can be configured as a field effect transistor or bipolar junction transistor. The silicide element can be formed by a process that consumes a base of a protruding single crystal element by silicide formation processes, while shielding upper portions of the protruding element from the silicide formation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsiang-Lan Lung, Erh-Kun Lai
  • Patent number: 8093578
    Abstract: The present invention is configured such that a resistance variable element (16) and a rectifying element (20) are formed on a substrate (12). The resistance variable element (16) is configured such that a resistance variable layer (14) made of a metal oxide material is sandwiched between a lower electrode (13) and an upper electrode (15). The rectifying element (20) is connected to the resistance variable element (16), and is configured such that a blocking layer (18) is sandwiched between a first electrode layer (17) located on a lower side of the blocking layer (18) and a second electrode layer (19) located on an upper side of the blocking layer (18). The resistance variable element (16) and the rectifying element (20) are connected to each other in series in a thickness direction of the resistance variable layer (14), and the blocking layer (18) is formed as a barrier layer having a hydrogen barrier property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Takagi, Takumi Mikawa
  • Publication number: 20110298082
    Abstract: A transistor causes fluctuation in the threshold and mobility due to the factor such as fluctuation of the gate length, the gate width, and the gate insulating film thickness generated by the difference of the manufacturing steps and the substrate to be used. As a result, there is caused fluctuation in the current value supplied to the pixel due to the influence of the characteristic fluctuation of the transistor, resulting in generating streaks in the display image. A light emitting device is provided which reduces influence of characteristics of transistors in a current source circuit constituting a signal line driving circuit until the transistor characteristics do not affect the device and which can display a clear image with no irregularities. A signal line driving circuit of the present invention can prevent streaks in a displayed image and uneven luminance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hajime Kimura, Jun Koyama
  • Patent number: 8072004
    Abstract: An integrated circuit chip includes a semiconductor substrate having thereon a plurality of inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layers and a plurality of first conductive layers embedded in respective the plurality of IMD layers, wherein the first conductive layers comprise copper; a first passivation layer overlying the plurality of IMD layers and the plurality of first conductive layers; a plurality of first power/ground mesh wiring lines, formed in a second conductive layer overlying the first passivation layer, for distributing power signal or ground signal, wherein the second conductive layer comprise aluminum; and a second passivation layer covering the second conductive layer and the first passivation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Ching-Chung Ko, Tao Cheng, Tien-Yueh Liu, Dar-Shii Chou, Peng-Cheng Kao
  • Patent number: 8072005
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method to construct a device that includes a plurality of nanowires (NWs) each having a core and at least one shell. The method includes providing a plurality of radially encoded NWs where each shell contains one of a plurality of different shell materials; and differentiating individual ones of the NWs from one another by selectively removing or not removing shell material within areas to be electrically coupled to individual ones of a plurality of mesowires (MWs). Also disclosed is a nanowire array that contains radially encoded NWs, and a computer program product useful in forming a nanowire array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Brown University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Andre Dehon, Charles M. Lieber, John E. Savage, Eric Rachlin
  • Publication number: 20110266648
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device and related method of fabricating the same, a hard mask layer is formed over a substrate, portions of the hard mask layer and the substrate are etched to form trenches having protruding portions at sidewalls, and an insulation layer buried in the trenches is formed to form device isolation regions having protruding portions at sidewalls, wherein the device isolation regions decrease a portion of a width of active regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventors: Yong-Tae CHO, Hae-Jung LEE, Eun-Mi KIM, Kyeong-Hyo LEE
  • Publication number: 20110248317
    Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device includes lateral and upper hydrogen blocking patterns disposed to prevent hydrogen from diffusing into the cell array region. Accordingly, hydrogen is effectively prevented from being trapped in a tunnel dielectric, thereby improving the reliability of the semiconductor device. In the method, when a cell array contact plug is formed, a lateral hydrogen blocking pattern and an upper hydrogen blocking pattern are formed at the same time. Thus, an additional process for forming a hydrogen blocking pattern is unnecessary, thereby simplifying a process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: Jaeyoun Kim, Jaihyuk Song, Manki Lee, Bongtae Park
  • Patent number: 8030662
    Abstract: There is offered a switching resistance RAM that is very much reduced in an occupied area and is highly integrated. Memory cells CEL11-CEL14 are formed corresponding to four intersections of word lines WL0 and WL1 and bit lines BL0 and BL1. Each of the memory cells CEL11-CEL14 are composed of a switching layer 13 formed on a surface of an N+ type Si layer 11. The switching layer 13 is electrically connected to the bit line BL0 or BL1 thereabove through an electrode 14. The switching layer 13 is composed of a SiC layer 13A stacked on the surface of the N+ type Si layer 11 and a Si oxide layer 13B stacked on the SiC layer 13A. A top surface of the Si oxide layer 13B, that is the uppermost layer of the switching layer 13, is electrically connected to the corresponding bit line BL0 or BL1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: National University Corporation Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Suda
  • Patent number: 8004014
    Abstract: A layout structure of a semiconductor integrated circuit is provided with which narrowing and breaking of metal interconnects near a cell boundary can be prevented without increasing the data amount and processing time for OPC. A cell A and a cell B are adjacent to each other along a cell boundary. The interconnect regions of metal interconnects from which to the cell boundary no other interconnect region exists are placed to be substantially axisymmetric with respect to the cell boundary, while sides of diffusion regions facing the cell boundary are asymmetric with respect to the cell boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Ikegami, Hidetoshi Nishimura, Kazuyuki Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 7994511
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a first polysilicon (polysilicon) region, a second polysilicon region, an insulating layer and a third polysilicon region. The first and second polysilicon regions are formed on the substrate and spaced apart by a gap. The insulating layer formed on the substrate covers the first and second polysilicon regions. The third polysilicon region is formed on the insulating layer and disposed above the gap. When the semiconductor structure is applied to a display panel, a grain boundary of the third polysilicon region in a displaying region and a channel of an active layer intersect at an angle, and the grain boundary of the third polysilicon region in a circuit driving region is substantially parallel to the channel of the active layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Au Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chih-Wei Chao, Mao-Yi Chang
  • Publication number: 20110175143
    Abstract: The semiconductor memory apparatus related to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wiring substrate arranged with a device mounting part and connection pads aligned along one exterior side of the wiring substrate, a plurality of semiconductor memory devices including electrode pads which are arranged along one external side of the wiring substrate, a semiconductor memory device group in which the plurality of semiconductor memory devices are stacked on the device mounting part of the wiring substrate so that pad arrangement sides all face in the same direction, and a controller device including the electrode pads arranged along at least one external side of the wiring substrate, wherein the electrode pads of the plurality of semiconductor memory devices and the electrode pads of the controller device are arranged parallel to an arrangement position of the connection pads of the wiring substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Takashi Okada
  • Patent number: 7969012
    Abstract: A method for easily manufacturing a semiconductor device in which variation in thickness or disconnection of a source electrode or a drain electrode is prevented is proposed. A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer formed over an insulating substrate; a first insulating layer formed over the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode formed over the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer formed over the gate electrode; an opening which reaches the semiconductor layer and is formed at least in the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer; and a step portion formed at a side surface of the second insulating layer in the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinya Sasagawa
  • Publication number: 20110147800
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate including a first core region and a second core region between which a cell array region is interposed, a first conductive line and a second conductive line extending to the first core region across the cell array region, and a third conductive line and a fourth conductive line extending to the second core region across the cell array region, wherein a line width of the first through fourth conductive lines is smaller than a resolution limit in a lithography process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyeoung-Won SEO, Byung-Hyug ROH, Seong-Goo Kim, Sang-Min Jeon
  • Publication number: 20110133252
    Abstract: Methods and devices yielding an improved semiconductor device with interface circuit are disclosed. Configuring a semiconductor with parallel device features reduces process variation (e.g., lithographically-induced process variation or other defects). Embodiments of the present invention provide semiconductor devices with I/O cell device features (e.g., I/O gates or core gates) laid out in parallel. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention can allow patterning devices to be made to more exacting tolerances because some patterning devices may have a higher capability along one axis than another. Embodiments of the present invention also include a semiconductor device having like-functioned I/O cells arranged such that their layouts and rotational orientations with respect to their corresponding core remain constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Eiichi Hosomi
  • Patent number: 7944732
    Abstract: A capacitor in an integrated circuit (“IC”) has a first node plate link formed in a first metal layer of the IC electrically connected to and forming a portion of a first node of the capacitor extending along a first axis (y) and a second node plate link formed in a second metal layer of the IC extending along the axis and connected to the first node plate with a via. A third node plate link formed in the first metal layer is electrically connected to and forming a portion of a second node of the capacitor and extends along a second axis (x) of the node plate array transverse to the first node plate link, proximate to an end of the first node plate link and overlying a portion of the second node plate link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Lodewijk de Jong, Steven Baier
  • Publication number: 20110103127
    Abstract: An AND-type anti-fuse memory cell, and a memory array consisting of AND-type anti-fuse memory cells. Chains of AND type anti-fuse cells are connected in series with each other, and with a bitline contact, in order to minimize the area occupied by the memory array. Each AND type anti-fuse cell includes an access transistor serially connectable to the bitline or the access transistors of other AND type anti-fuse cells, and an anti-fuse device. The channel region of the access transistor is connected to the channel region of the anti-fuse device, and both channel regions are covered by the same wordline. The wordline is driven to a programming voltage level for programming the anti-fuse device, or to a read voltage level for reading the anti-fuse device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: SIDENCE CORP.
    Inventor: Wlodek KURJANOWICZ
  • Patent number: 7936000
    Abstract: A vertical transistor having a wrap-around-gate and a method of fabricating such a transistor. The wrap-around-gate (WAG) vertical transistors are fabricated by a process in which source, drain and channel regions of the transistor are automatically defined and aligned by the fabrication process, without photolithographic patterning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Robert J. Burke, Anand Srinivasan
  • Publication number: 20110089529
    Abstract: An RF semiconductor package includes a substrate having generally planar top and bottom surfaces. The substrate includes a metallic base region and one or more metallic signal terminal regions extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, and an insulative material separating the metallic regions from one another. The bottom surface of an RF semiconductor die is surface-mounted to the base region at the top substrate surface. The RF semiconductor die has a terminal pad disposed at a top surface of the RF semiconductor die. The terminal pad is electrically connected to one of the signal terminal regions at the top substrate surface. A lid is attached to the top substrate surface so that the RF semiconductor die is enclosed by the lid to form an open-cavity around the RF semiconductor die. The base and signal terminal regions are configured for surface-mounting at the bottom substrate surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES NORTH AMERICA CORP.
    Inventors: Donald Fowlkes, Soon Ing Chew
  • Patent number: 7898013
    Abstract: Methods and systems for optimal decoupling capacitance in a dual-voltage power-island architecture. In low-voltage areas of the chip, accumulation capacitors of two different types are used for decoupling, depending on whether the capacitor is located in an area which is always-on or an area which is conditionally powered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: SanDisk Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Cheung, Emmanuel De Muizon
  • Publication number: 20110024870
    Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductor device and its layout, which allows a larger number of capacitors within the same area to increase the cell density, which enables to get a larger number of semiconductor chips out of one wafer, and which retains a sufficient gap between bit lines to prevent SAC failure of the storage node, and to a method of fabricating the semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Ho Hyuk LEE
  • Publication number: 20110018035
    Abstract: An array with cells that have adjacent similar structures that are displaced from each other across a common cell border in a direction that is not perpendicular to the cell border thus avoiding an across cell border design rule violation between the adjacent similar structures. A method of forming reduced area memory arrays by displacing adjacent similar structures along a common cell border. A method of building arrays using conventional array building software by forming unit pairs with cells that are not identical and are not mirror images or rotated versions of each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Theodore W. Houston, Robert R. Garcia
  • Patent number: 7863706
    Abstract: A circuit system includes: forming a first electrode over a substrate; applying a dielectric layer over the first electrode and the substrate; forming a second electrode over the dielectric layer; and forming a dielectric structure from the dielectric layer with the dielectric structure within a first horizontal boundary of the first electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Stats Chippac Ltd.
    Inventor: Yaojian Lin
  • Publication number: 20100327396
    Abstract: A pattern structure for a semiconductor device includes a plurality of first patterns, each of the first patterns extending in a first direction in the shape of a line, neighboring first patterns being spaced apart from each other by a gap distance, the plurality of first patterns including a plurality of trenches in parallel with the line shapes, respective trenches being between neighboring first patterns, the plurality of trenches including long trenches and short trenches alternately arranged in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and at least a second pattern, the second pattern being coplanar with the first pattern, end portions of the first patterns being connected to the second pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Yoon Moon Park, Jae Hwang Sim, Keon Soo Kim
  • Publication number: 20100308377
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit is provided which entails no increase in the correction time of OPC and in which non-uniformity in the gate lengths due to the optical proximity effects is surely suppressed. A plurality of standard cells (C1, C2, C3, . . . ), each including gates G extended in the vertical direction, are aligned in the transverse direction to form a standard cell row. A plurality of the standard cell rows are located side by side in the vertical direction to form a standard cell group. Each of the standard cell rows has a terminal standard cell Ce at least one end of the standard cell row. The terminal standard cell Ce includes two or more supplementary gates, each of which is any of a dummy gate and a gate of an inactive transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventors: Kazuyuki NAKANISHI, Hidetoshi Nishimura, Tomoaki Ikegami
  • Publication number: 20100295012
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory element comprises a resistance variable element 105 configured to reversibly change between a low-resistance state and a high-resistance state in response to electric signals with different polarities which are applied thereto; and a current controlling element 112 configured such that when a current flowing when a voltage whose absolute value is a first value as a desired value which is larger than 0 and smaller than a predetermined voltage value and whose polarity is a first polarity is applied is a first current and a current flowing when a voltage whose absolute value is the first value and whose polarity is a second polarity different from the first polarity is applied is a second current, the first current is higher than the second current, and the resistance variable element is connected in series with the current controlling element such that a polarity of a voltage applied to the current controlling element when the resistance variable element is changed from the low-resistance s
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Inventors: Takumi Mikawa, Kiyotaka Tsuji, Takashi Okada
  • Patent number: 7834381
    Abstract: Repeaters are arranged at arbitrary positions to substantially improve transmission speed of a signal. In the semiconductor integrated circuit device 1, repeater regions 10 where repeaters are provided as relay points for wiring are provided in the central parts of the core power source regions 2, 3 and 5, on the left side of the core power source regions 4 to 8 and at the upper and lower parts of the semiconductor integrated circuit device 1. A power switch region for repeater 11 is formed so as to surround the core power source regions 2 to 8 and the repeater regions 10. The power source lines of the reference potential connected to the repeater regions 10 are laid out at equally spaced intervals throughout the core power source regions 2 to 8, which enables the repeater regions 10 to be flexibly laid out. This permits the repeaters to be more effectively arranged, which improves the performances of semiconductor integrated circuit device 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Umekita, Tomomi Ajioka, Kenji Hirose, Yoshihiko Yasu, Yujiro Miyairi
  • Patent number: 7821038
    Abstract: An integrated circuit chip with reduced IR drop and improved chip performance is disclosed. The integrated circuit chip includes a semiconductor substrate having thereon a plurality of inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layers and a plurality of copper metal layers embedded in respective the plurality of IMD layers; a first passivation layer overlying the plurality of IMD layers and the plurality of copper metal layers; a first power/ground ring of a circuit block of the integrated circuit chip formed in a topmost layer of the plurality of copper metal layers; a second power/ground ring of the circuit block of the integrated circuit chip formed in an aluminum layer over the first passivation layer; and a second passivation layer covering the second power/ground ring and the first passivation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Ching-Chung Ko, Tao Cheng, Tien-Yueh Liu, Dar-Shii Chou, Peng-Cheng Kao
  • Publication number: 20100244186
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, includes: a stacked structural unit including a plurality of stacked component units stacked in a first direction, each of the stacked component units including a first conducting film made of a semiconductor of a first conductivity type provided perpendicular to the first direction and a first insulating film stacked in the first direction with the first conducting film; a semiconductor pillar piercing the stacked structural unit in the first direction and including a conducting region of a second conductivity type, the semiconductor pillar including a first region opposing each of the first conducting films, and a second region provided between the first regions with respect to the first direction, the second region having a resistance different from a resistance of the first region; and a second insulating film provided between the semiconductor pillar and the first conducting film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Ryota KATSUMATA, Masaru KITO, Yoshiaki FUKUZUMI, Masaru KIDOH, Hiroyasu TANAKA, Yosuke KOMORI, Megumi ISHIDUKI, Hideaki AOCHI, Ryouhei KIRISAWA, Junya MATSUNAMI, Tomoko FUJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20100237314
    Abstract: A resistance change type memory of an aspect of the present invention including a first wiring configured to extend in a first direction, a second wiring configured to extend in a second direction crossing the first direction, a series circuit configured to connect to the first and second wirings, the series circuit including a non-ohmic element being more conductive in the first to second wiring direction than in the second to first direction and a resistance change type storage element in which data is stored according to a change of a resistance state, an energy supplying circuit configured to connect to the first wiring to supply energy to the first wiring, the energy being used to store the data in the resistance change type storage element, and a capacitance circuit configured to include a capacitive element and being connected to the second wiring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Takayuki Tsukamoto, Reika Ichihara, Hiroshi Kanno, Kenichi Murooka
  • Patent number: 7800140
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit is provided which entails no increase in the correction time of OPC and in which non-uniformity in the gate lengths due to the optical proximity effects is surely suppressed. A plurality of standard cells (C1, C2, C3, . . . ), each including gates G extended in the vertical direction, are aligned in the transverse direction to form a standard cell row. A plurality of the standard cell rows are located side by side in the vertical direction to form a standard cell group. Each of the standard cell rows has a terminal standard cell Ce at least one end of the standard cell row. The terminal standard cell Ce includes two or more supplementary gates, each of which is any of a dummy gate and a gate of an inactive transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Nakanishi, Hidetoshi Nishimura, Tomoaki Ikegami
  • Publication number: 20100230726
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) chip includes a first memory cell array block having a first metal layer containing at least two power lines, and a second memory cell array block containing at least two power lines independent of each other, wherein all the power lines on the first metal layer serving the first memory cell array block do not extend into the second memory cell array block, and all the power lines on the first metal layer serving the second memory cell array block do not extend into the first memory cell array block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Cheng Hung Lee
  • Patent number: 7795701
    Abstract: A first insulation film is provided on a semiconductor substrate. A high resistance element formed from polysilicon is provided on the first insulation film. A second insulation film is provided on the high resistance element. A hydrogen diffusion preventing film having a hydrogen diffusion coefficient smaller than that of the second insulation film is provided on the second insulation film. The hydrogen diffusion preventing film covers a part of the high resistance element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Iwadate, Takeshi Kobiki
  • Publication number: 20100213550
    Abstract: The memory cell is located at respective intersections between the first wirings and the second wirings. Each of the memory cells has a rectifier element and a variable resistance element connected in series. The rectifier element includes a p type first semiconductor region, and a n type second semiconductor region. The first semiconductor region is formed of, at least in part, silicon-germanium mixture (Sii-xGex (0<x<=1)). The second semiconductor region is formed of silicon (Si).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kanno, Kenichi Murooka, Jun Hirota, Hideyuki Tabata
  • Publication number: 20100193916
    Abstract: The embodiments generally relate to methods of making semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to methods for making semiconductor pillar structures and increasing array feature pattern density using selective or directional gap fill. The technique has application to a variety of materials and can be applied to making monolithic two or three-dimensional memory arrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: SanDisk 3D LLC
    Inventors: Huiwen Xu, Yung-Tin Chen, Steven J. Radigan
  • Patent number: 7763981
    Abstract: A technique of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which etching in formation of a contact hole can be easily controlled is proposed. A semiconductor device includes at least a semiconductor layer formed over an insulating surface; a first insulating layer formed over the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode formed over the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer formed over the gate electrode; and a conductive layer formed over the second insulating layer connected to the semiconductor layer via an opening which is formed at least in the semiconductor layer and the second insulating layer and partially exposes the insulating surface. The conductive layer is electrically connected to the semiconductor layer at the side surface of the opening which is formed in the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hideomi Suzawa, Shinya Sasagawa, Motomu Kurata
  • Publication number: 20100176422
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor substrate; a memory cell array on the semiconductor substrate, the memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory cells capable of electrically storing data; a sense amplifier configured to detect the data stored in at least one of the memory cells; a cell source driver electrically connected to source side terminals of the memory cells and configured to supply a source potential to at least one of the source side terminals of the memory cells; a first wiring configured to electrically connect between at least one of the source side terminals of the memory cells and the cell source driver; and a second wiring formed in a same wiring layer as the first wiring, the second wiring being insulated from the first wiring and being electrically connected to the sense amplifier, wherein the first wiring and the second wiring have a plurality of through holes provided at a predetermined interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koichi FUKUDA, Dai NAKAMURA, Yasuhiko MATSUNAGA