Having Additional Electrical Device Patents (Class 438/145)
  • Patent number: 11114557
    Abstract: There is disclosed the integration of a Schottky diode with a MOSFET, more in detail there is a free-wheeling Schottky diode and a power MOSFET on top of a buried grid material structure. Advantages of the specific design allow the whole surface area to be used for MOSFET and Schottky diode structures, the shared drift layer is not limited by Schottky diode or MOSFET design rules and therefore, one can decrease the thickness and increase the doping concentration of the drift layer closer to a punch through design compared to the state of the art. This results in higher conductivity and lower on-resistance of the device with no influence on the voltage blocking performance. The integrated device can operate at higher frequency. The risk for bipolar degradation is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: II-VI DELAWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Nicolas Thierry-Jebali, Hossein Elahipanah, Adolf Schöner, Sergey Reshanov
  • Patent number: 10468487
    Abstract: A semiconductor device in which an interlayer insulation film covers striped gate electrodes with a thickness larger than a thickness of a gate oxide film. The interlayer insulation film includes first contact holes outside each striped trench, and second contact holes inside the striped trench. In a plan view, striped active regions and striped contact regions both extending in a longitudinal direction exist. The striped active regions and the striped contact regions are alternately and repeatedly disposed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In each of the striped active regions, the source electrode is connected to a source region through the first contact hole. In each of the striped contact regions, the source electrode is connected to a protective diffusion layer through the second contact hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Sugawara, Rina Tanaka, Yutaka Fukui, Kohei Adachi, Kazuya Konishi
  • Patent number: 10361302
    Abstract: A SiC MOSFET device having low specific on resistance is described. The device has N+, P-well and JFET regions extended in one direction (Y-direction) and P+ and source contacts extended in an orthogonal direction (X-direction). The polysilicon gate of the device covers the JFET region and is terminated over the P-well region to minimize electric field at the polysilicon gate edge. In use, current flows vertically from the drain contact at the bottom of the structure into the JFET region and then laterally in the X direction through the accumulation region and through the MOSFET channels into the adjacent N+ region. The current flowing out of the channel then flows along the N+ region in the Y-direction and is collected by the source contacts and the final metal. Methods of making the device are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Monolith Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Sujit Banerjee, Kevin Matocha, Kiran Chatty
  • Patent number: 10312233
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a base region of second conductivity type formed on a drift layer of first conductivity type, a source region of first conductivity type located in the base region, a trench passing through the base region and the source region and dividing cell regions in plan view, a protective diffusion layer of second conductivity type disposed on a bottom of the trench, a gate electrode embedded in the trench with a gate insulating film therebetween, a source electrode electrically connected to the source region, and a protective contact region disposed at each of positions of three or more cell regions and connecting the protective diffusion layer and the source electrode to each other. The protective contact regions are disposed such that a triangle whose vertices are centers of three protective contact regions located closest to one another is an acute triangle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Sugawara, Yasuhiro Kagawa, Rina Tanaka, Yutaka Fukui
  • Patent number: 9985093
    Abstract: There is provided a trench-gate type semiconductor device that can prevent breakdown of a gate insulating film caused by a displacement current flowing into a protective diffusion layer at a portion of a trench underlying a gate electrode at a turn-off time and simultaneously improves a current density by narrowing a cell pitch. The semiconductor device has a gate electrode 7 embedded into a trench 5 penetrating a base region 3. The gate electrode 7 is disposed into a lattice shape in a planar view, and a protective diffusion layer 13 is formed in a drift layer 2a at the portion underlying thereof. At least one of blocks divided by the gate electrode 7 is a protective contact region 20 on which the trench 5 is entirely formed. A protective contact 21 for connecting the protective diffusion layer 13 at a bottom portion of the trench 5 and a source electrode 9 is disposed on the protective contact region 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kagawa, Akihiko Furukawa, Shiro Hino, Hiroshi Watanabe, Masayuki Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 9614029
    Abstract: There is provided a trench-gate type semiconductor device that can prevent breakdown of a gate insulating film caused by a displacement current flowing into a protective diffusion layer at a portion of a trench underlying a gate electrode at a turn-off time and simultaneously improves a current density by narrowing a cell pitch. The semiconductor device has a gate electrode 7 embedded into a trench 5 penetrating a base region 3. The gate electrode 7 is disposed into a lattice shape in a planar view, and a protective diffusion layer 13 is formed in a drift layer 2a at the portion underlying thereof. At least one of blocks divided by the gate electrode 7 is a protective contact region 20 on which the trench 5 is entirely formed. A protective contact 21 for connecting the protective diffusion layer 13 at a bottom portion of the trench 5 and a source electrode 9 is disposed on the protective contact region 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kagawa, Akihiko Furukawa, Shiro Hino, Hiroshi Watanabe, Masayuki Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 8962405
    Abstract: In some aspects of the invention, a circuit pattern of a front surface structure is formed in a front surface of a semiconductor wafer and an alignment mark is formed on the front surface of a semiconductor wafer. A transparent supporting substrate is attached to the front surface of the semiconductor wafer by a transparent adhesive. Then, a resist is applied onto a rear surface of the semiconductor wafer. Then, the semiconductor wafer is mounted on a stage of an exposure apparatus, with the supporting substrate down. Then, the alignment mark formed on the front surface of the semiconductor wafer is recognized by a camera, and the positions of the semiconductor wafer and a photomask are aligned with each other. Then, the resist is patterned. Then, a circuit pattern is formed in the rear surface of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsunehiro Nakajima, Haruo Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 8940575
    Abstract: There is provided a method of producing a semiconductor device. The method includes the steps of: forming a first hard mask having an opening above a substrate; forming a sacrificial film above a side surface of the opening of the first hard mask; forming a second hard mask in the opening having the sacrificial film above the side surface; removing the sacrificial film after the second hard mask is formed; ion implanting a first conductivity-type impurity through the first hard mask; and ion implanting a second conductivity-type impurity through the first and second hard masks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yasufumi Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 8896031
    Abstract: An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes a substrate where a plurality of pixels are formed, a first pixel defining layer on the substrate, the first pixel defining layer dividing the plurality of pixels, a connection wire on the first pixel defining layer, the connection wire electrically connecting two adjacent pixels, and a second pixel defining layer on the first pixel defining layer, the second pixel defining layer covering the connection wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Guang Hai Jin, Jae-Beom Choi, Kwan-Wook Jung, June-Woo Lee, Moo-Jin Kim, Ga-Young Kim
  • Publication number: 20140191291
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing vertical gate transistors in a semiconductor substrate, comprising implanting, in the depth of the substrate, a doped isolation layer, to form a source region of the transistors; forming, in the substrate, parallel trench isolations and second trenches perpendicular to the trench isolations, reaching the isolation layer, and isolated from the substrate by a first dielectric layer; depositing a first conductive layer on the surface of the substrate and in the second trenches; etching the first conductive layer to form the vertical gates of the transistors, and vertical gate connection pads between the extremity of the vertical gates and an edge of the substrate, while keeping a continuity zone in the first conductive layer between each connection pad and a vertical gate; and implanting doped regions on each side of the second trenches, to form drain regions of the transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Inventors: Francesco La Rosa, Stephan Niel, Arnaud Regnier, Hélène Dalle-Houilliez
  • Patent number: 8772091
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for electronic circuit protection under high stress operating conditions are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a substrate having a first p-well, a second p-well adjacent the first p-well, and an n-type region separating the first and second p-wells. An n-type active area is over the first p-well and a p-type active area is over the second p-well. The n-type and p-type active areas are electrically connected to a cathode and anode of a high reverse blocking voltage (HRBV) device, respectively. The n-type active area, the first p-well and the n-type region operate as an NPN bipolar transistor and the second p-well, the n-type region, and the first p-well operate as a PNP bipolar transistor. The NPN bipolar transistor defines a relatively low forward trigger voltage of the HRBV device and the PNP bipolar transistor defines a relatively high reverse breakdown voltage of the HRBV device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Javier A Salcedo, David Hall Whitney
  • Patent number: 8691637
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state image pickup device including: a photoelectric conversion section configured to convert incident light into a signal charge; a transfer transistor configured to read the signal charge from the photoelectric conversion section and transfer the signal charge; and an amplifying transistor configured to amplify the signal charge read by the transfer transistor, wherein a compressive stress film having a compressive stress is formed on the amplifying transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Arakawa
  • Patent number: 8658457
    Abstract: There is provided a method of producing a semiconductor device. The method includes the steps of: forming a first hard mask having an opening above a substrate; forming a sacrificial film above a side surface of the opening of the first hard mask; forming a second hard mask in the opening having the sacrificial film above the side surface; removing the sacrificial film after the second hard mask is formed; ion implanting a first conductivity-type impurity through the first hard mask; and ion implanting a second conductivity-type impurity through the first and second hard masks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yasufumi Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 8551810
    Abstract: In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film, a metal oxide film for preventing electrification which is in contact with the oxide semiconductor film and covers a source electrode and a drain electrode is formed. Then, oxygen is introduced (added) to the oxide semiconductor film through the metal oxide film and heat treatment is performed. Through these steps of oxygen introduction and heat treatment, impurities such as hydrogen, moisture, a hydroxyl group, or hydride are intentionally removed from the oxide semiconductor film, so that the oxide semiconductor film is highly purified. Further, by providing the metal oxide film, generation of a parasitic channel on a back channel side of the oxide semiconductor film can be prevented in the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8383448
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an MOS device is provided. First, gates and source/drain regions of transistors are formed on a substrate. A photodiode doped region and a floating node doped region are formed in the substrate. Thereafter, a spacer stacked layer including a bottom layer, an inter-layer and a top layer is formed to cover each gate of the transistors. Afterwards, a first mask layer having an opening exposing at least the photodiode doped region is formed on the substrate, and then the top layer exposed by the opening is removed. Next, the first mask layer is removed, and then a second mask layer is formed on a region correspondingly exposed by the opening. A portion of the top layer and the inter-layer exposed by the second mask layer is removed to form spacers on sidewalls of the gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventor: Ching-Hung Kao
  • Patent number: 8193031
    Abstract: An object is to provide a semiconductor device having stable electric characteristics in which an oxide semiconductor is used. An oxide semiconductor layer is subjected to heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation treatment in a nitrogen gas or an inert gas atmosphere such as a rare gas (e.g., argon or helium) or under reduced pressure and to a cooling step for treatment for supplying oxygen in an atmosphere of oxygen, an atmosphere of oxygen and nitrogen, or the air (having a dew point of preferably lower than or equal to ?40° C., still preferably lower than or equal to ?50° C.) atmosphere. The oxide semiconductor layer is thus highly purified, whereby an i-type oxide semiconductor layer is formed. A semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having the oxide semiconductor layer is manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Miyuki Hosoba, Junichiro Sakata, Hiroki Ohara, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8071396
    Abstract: An embedded memory required for a high performance, multifunction SOC, and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The memory includes a bipolar transistor, a phase-change memory device and a MOS transistor, adjacent and electrically connected, on a substrate. The bipolar transistor includes a base composed of SiGe disposed on a collector. The phase-change memory device has a phase-change material layer which is changed from an amorphous state to a crystalline state by a current, and a heating layer composed of SiGe that contacts the lower surface of the phase-change material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Seung-Yun Lee, Sangouk Ryu, Sung Min Yoon, Young Sam Park, Kyu-Jeong Choi, Nam-Yeal Lee, Byoung-Gon Yu
  • Patent number: 8012861
    Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to systems and methods for preparing epitaxially textured polycrystalline films. In one or more embodiments, the method for making a textured thin film includes providing a precursor film on a substrate, the film includes crystal grains having a surface texture and a non-uniform degree of texture throughout the thickness of the film, wherein at least a portion of the this substrate is transparent to laser irradiation; and irradiating the textured precursor film through the substrate using a pulsed laser crystallization technique at least partially melt the film wherein the irradiated film crystallizes upon cooling to form crystal grains having a uniform degree of texture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventor: James S. Im
  • Patent number: 7999267
    Abstract: A display device includes a substrate having a display region and a driver region; a gate line and a data line crossing each other to define a pixel region in the display region, the pixel region having a pixel electrode; an insulation layer between the gate line and the data line; a first thin film transistor in the display region; and a second thin film transistor having a first polarity and a third thin film transistor having a second polarity in the driver region, wherein the pixel electrode, the gate line and the gate electrodes of the first to third thin film transistors have a double-layer structure in which a metal layer is formed on a transparent conductive layer, and the transparent conductive layer of the pixel electrode is exposed through a transmission hole passing through the insulation layer and the metal layer in the pixel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong In Park
  • Patent number: 7888150
    Abstract: The present invention provides a display comprising a panel having a display region for displaying an image and a peripheral region defined therein, a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs) formed in the display region, p-type and n-type TFTs formed in the peripheral region, and at least one photo diode formed in a horizontal structure in the display or peripheral region; and a method of manufacturing the display. According to the present invention, n-type and p-type TFTs and a photo diode can be together formed without an additional process when forming the TFTs using a polycrystalline silicon thin film, and various peripheral circuits can be configured using such elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheol Min Kim, Gi Chang Lee, Yang Hwa Choi
  • Patent number: 7846760
    Abstract: A method and structure of providing a doped plug to improve the performance of CCD gaps is discussed. A highly-doped region is implemented in a semiconductor, aligned beneath a gap. The plug provides a highly-conductive region at the semiconductor surface, therefore preventing the development of a region where potential is significantly influenced by surface charges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Kenet, Inc.
    Inventors: William D. Washkurak, Michael P. Anthony, Gerhard Sollner
  • Patent number: 7811850
    Abstract: Isolation methods and devices for isolating pixels of an image sensor pixel. The isolation structure and methods include forming a biased gate over a field isolation region and adjacent a pixel of an image sensor. The isolation methods also include forming an isolation gate over substantial portions of a field isolation region to isolate pixels in an array of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: Chandra Mouli, Howard Rhodes
  • Publication number: 20100197083
    Abstract: Methods for manufacturing thin film transistor arrays utilizing three steps of lithography and one step of laser ablation while the lithography procedure is used four to five times in conventional processes are disclosed. The use of the disclosed methods assists in improving throughput and saving of manufacturing cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: AU OPTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Chih-Hung Shih
  • Patent number: 7749798
    Abstract: An image sensing circuit and method is disclosed, wherein a photodiode is formed in a substrate through a series of angled implants. The photodiode is formed by a first, second and third implant, wherein at least one of the implants are angled so as to allow the resulting photodiode to extend out beneath an adjoining gate. Under an alternate embodiment, a fourth implant is added, under an increased implant angle, in the region of the second implant. The resulting photodiode structure substantially reduces or eliminates transfer gate subthreshold leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: Howard E. Rhodes, Richard A. Mauritzson, Inna Patrick
  • Patent number: 7655495
    Abstract: A CMOS image sensor array and method of fabrication wherein the sensor includes Copper (Cu) metallization levels allowing for incorporation of a thinner interlevel dielectric stack with improved thickness uniformity to result in a pixel array exhibiting increased light sensitivity. In the sensor array, each Cu metallization level includes a Cu metal wire structure formed at locations between each array pixel and, a barrier material layer is formed on top each Cu metal wire structure that traverses the pixel optical path. By implementing a single mask or self-aligned mask methodology, a single etch is conducted to completely remove the interlevel dielectric and barrier layers that traverse the optical path. The etched opening is then refilled with dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machiens Corporation
    Inventors: James W. Adkisson, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Mark D. Jaffe, Robert K. Leidy, Anthony K. Stamper
  • Patent number: 7645646
    Abstract: In the manufacture of an electronic device such as an active matrix display, a vertical amorphous PIN photodiode or similar thin-film diode (D) is advantageously integrated with a polysilicon TFT (TFT1, TFT2) in a manner that permits a good degree of optimization of the respective TFT and diode properties while being compatible with the complex pixel context of the display. High temperature processes for making the active semiconductor film (10) of the TFT more crystalline than an active semiconductor film (40) of the diode and for forming the source and drain doped regions (s1,s2, d1,d2) of the TFT are carried out before depositing the active semiconductor film (40) of the diode. Thereafter, the lateral extent of the diode is defined by etching while protecting with an etch-stop film (30) an interconnection film (20) that can provide a doped bottom electrode region (41) of the diode as well as one of the doped regions (s2, g1) of the TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Nigel D. Young
  • Patent number: 7592196
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a CMOS image sensor may include forming an isolation layer defining an active area on a semiconductor substrate, forming first and second gate electrodes in the transistor area of the semiconductor substrate, forming a photodiode area in the semiconductor substrate at a first side of the first gate electrode, forming an oxide layer over the photodiode area, the oxide layer having a thickness greater than that of the dielectric layer, forming a source/drain extension area in the semiconductor substrate at a second side of the second gate electrode and between the first and second gate electrodes, forming source/drain regions in the transistor area of the semiconductor substrate by ion implantation through the dielectric layer, and forming a complementary ion implantation region in the photodiode area through the oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hee Sung Shim
  • Patent number: 7585707
    Abstract: A pixel cell having a substrate with a isolation channel formed of higher carbon concentrate such as SiC or carbonated silicon. The channel comprising SiC or carbonated silicon is provided over the substrate of the pixel cell to reduce the dark current leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Chandra Mouli
  • Patent number: 7585695
    Abstract: An interline transfer type image sensing device that can be operated at high speed and with low image smear is described. The device incorporates a refractory metal layer which is used for both a light shield over the vertical charge transfer region and as a wiring layer for low resistance strapping of poly crystalline silicon (polysilicon) gate electrodes for the vertical charge transfer region. Plugs provided by a separate metallization layer connect the refractory light shield to the polysilicon gate electrode. These plugs allow high temperature processing after refractory light shield patterning for improved sensor performance without degradation of the polysilicon gate electrode or the refractory lightshield layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David N. Nichols, David L. Losee, Christopher Parks
  • Patent number: 7572663
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a CMOS image sensor is provided. The method can include forming an interlayer dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate including a gate electrode, photodiode area, and LDD region; selectively removing the interlayer dielectric layer such that the interlayer dielectric layer remains on the photodiode area; performing a first heat treatment process; sequentially forming a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer on the semiconductor substrate, where the etching selectivity of the first insulating layer is different from the etching selectivity of the second insulating layer; selectively etching the second insulating layer to form spacers on sidewalls of the gate electrode; selectively removing the first insulating layer to expose a source/drain area and forming a high-density N-type diffusion area in the exposed source/drain area; performing a second heat treatment process; and forming a metal silicide layer the high-density N-type diffusion area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Dongbu Electronics, Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang Hun Han
  • Patent number: 7547573
    Abstract: An image sensor and a method of manufacturing the same, in which, a planarized layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate including a pixel array region, an optical black region, and a logic region to cover a photo sensing unit array in the pixel array region, a patterned metal layer is formed on the planarized layer corresponding to the pixel array region and the logic region, but not the optical black region. An optical black layer is formed in the optical black region after a passivation layer is formed and before a color filter array is formed at a temperature less than about 400° C., and preferably contains metal material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignees: United Microelectronics Corp., AltaSens Inc.
    Inventors: Tzeng-Fei Wen, Giuseppe Rossi, Ju-Hsin Yen, Chia-Huei Lin, Jhy-Jyi Sze, Chien-Yao Huang, Teng-Yuan Ko, Nien-Tsu Peng
  • Patent number: 7303938
    Abstract: Isolation methods and devices for isolating pixels of an image sensor pixel. The isolation structure and methods include forming a biased gate over a field isolation region and adjacent a pixel of an image sensor. The isolation methods also include forming an isolation gate over substantial portions of a field isolation region to isolate pixels in an array of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chandra Mouli, Howard Rhodes
  • Patent number: 7186595
    Abstract: A solid picture element that transfers charges completely from a photodiode portion to an amplifying transistor portion to substantially eliminate residual images and methods of its manufacture are disclosed. The solid picture element includes a buried photodiode and a transistor in communication with a transfer gate that is a selective transfer path for charges from the photodiode to the transistor. The charge accumulation region is located so that it is not in contact with the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and so that a margin of the charge accumulation region is located 0.0 to 0.2 ?m closer to the transistor than any portion of the depletion prevention region. Methods of manufacture of the picture element of the present invention include using the transfer gate as a mask and implanting ions into a semiconductor substrate at a first angle to form the charge accumulation region and at a second, steeper, angle to form the depletion prevention region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Kamashita, Satoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7071020
    Abstract: The invention provides an elevated photodiode for image sensors and methods of formation of the photodiode. Elevated photodiodes permit a decrease in size requirements for pixel sensor cells while reducing leakage, image lag and barrier problems typically associated with conventional photodiodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Sungkwon Hong
  • Patent number: 7060592
    Abstract: An image sensor comprising an image sensing device layer, a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer, an optical device array and a substrate is provided. The SOI layer has a first surface and a second surface. The image sensing device layer is formed on the first surface of the SOI layer. The optical device array is formed on the second surface of the SOI layer. The substrate is disposed above the second surface of the SOI layer and the optical device array is disposed between the substrate and the SOI layer. An incident light coming from the outside environment, passes through the optical device array and the SOI layer, and is received by sensing devices formed in the image sensing device layer. In this manner, the probability of absorption or reflection of the incident light is reduced. Therefore, the sensing performance and the yield of the image sensor of the present invention is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Jui-Hsiang Pan, Cheng-Kuang Sun, Kuang-Chih Cheng, Kuang-Shin Lee
  • Patent number: 7049167
    Abstract: The method for manufacturing a test pattern for use in a CMOS image sensor is employed to measure a sheet resistivity of each ion implantation region, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Won-Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 6819042
    Abstract: There is provided a more expedient and positive desiccating means for an organic EL device. The invention relates to an organic EL device comprising 1) a laminate consisting of an opposed pair of electrodes and an organic light-emitting layer sandwiched between the electrodes, 2) a gas-tight housing accommodating the laminate and shielding off the external atmosphere and 3) a desiccating means disposed in isolation from the laminate within the gas-tight housing, characterized in that a preformed moisture-absorbing artifact as the desiccating means is fixedly secured to at least one part of the gas-tight housing and further to a method of manufacturing the same device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignees: Dynic Corporation, Tohoku Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Nakada, Hiroshi Ohata, Yoshitaka Nonaka, Atsushi Nishino, Yohei Kawaguchi, Masayuki Fujimori, Kaneto Ohyama
  • Publication number: 20040224445
    Abstract: A high capacity silicon capacitor formed on an integrated circuit substrate includes a metal portion on the substrate; a silicon nitride (SiN) portion sputtered on the metal; a silicon (Si) portion sputtered on the silicon nitride portion, another SiN layer and finally a metal layer. The SiN layers are for increased isolation and are optional.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Inventor: Dominik J. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 6700144
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes the following: a semiconductor substrate of a first conduction type; an intrinsic semiconductor layer of the first conduction type formed on the semiconductor substrate; a first semiconductor layer of a second conduction type formed on the intrinsic semiconductor layer; a first impurity layer of the first conduction type formed in the first semiconductor layer of the second conduction type; and a bipolar transistor and a MIS transistor formed in the first semiconductor layer of the second conduction type. The laminated structure of the semiconductor substrate, the intrinsic semiconductor layer, and the first semiconductor layer provides a diode for photoelectric conversion. A first insulator layer and a second insulator layer are formed respectively in at least a portion below the bipolar transistor and the MIS transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyoyuki Shimazaki, Katuichi Ohsawa, Tetsuo Chato, Yuzo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6680222
    Abstract: Generally, and in one form of the invention, a monolithic solid state image-sensing device is disclosed. The device utilizes only a single layer of polysilicon deposition in its fabrication process that is split into two or more phases by very narrow gaps. The single polysilicon layer makes the fabrication process simpler and more compatible with modern semiconductor manufacturing technology. The device also incorporates a lateral anti-blooming drain structure that is formed by a self-aligned diffusion process and does not need a polysilicon gate for its proper function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Isetex, Inc
    Inventor: Jaroslav Hynecek
  • Patent number: 6674501
    Abstract: A pixel unit included in a multi-domain vertically aligned liquid crystal display is provided. The pixel unit includes a first insulating substrate having a first side and a second side, a second insulating substrate having a third side and a fourth side, a plurality of liquid crystal molecules filled between the first side of the first insulating substrate and the fourth side of the second insulating substrate, an electric field generation device for providing an electric field to change alignment of the liquid crystal molecules, and a cone protrusion formed on the first side of the first insulating substrate for generating an advance inclination of the liquid crystal molecules around the cone protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Inventors: Long-Hai Wu, Sakae Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6558985
    Abstract: A CCD and method of fabricating the same, which reads signal charges completely and increases the fill factor of its pixel, to improve the sensitivity. The CCD having photodiodes in matrix form, includes a first interlevel insulating layer and first transfer gate sequentially formed between the photodiodes arranged in the row direction, a block insulating layer formed along the center of the first transfer gate, a second interlevel insulating layer formed on the first transfer gate, second and third transfer gates formed on the first transfer gate, being isolated from each other on the block insulating layer, a third interlevel insulating layer formed on the second and third transfer gates, and a fourth transfer gate formed on the third interlevel insulating layer, being placed on the second and third transfer gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: LG Semicon Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seo Kyu Lee
  • Publication number: 20030040144
    Abstract: A merged device is that comprises a plurality of MOSFET cells and a plurality of Schottky rectifier cells, as well as a method of designing and making the same. According to an embodiment of the invention, the MOSFET cells comprise: (a) a source region of first conductivity type formed within an upper portion of a semiconductor region, (b) a body region of second conductivity type formed within a middle portion of the semiconductor region, (c) a drain region of first conductivity type formed within a lower portion of the semiconductor region, and (d) a gate region provided adjacent the source region, the body region, and the drain region. The Schottky diode cells in this embodiment are disposed within a trench network and comprise a conductor portion in Schottky rectifying contact with the lower portion of the semiconductor region. At least one MOSFET cell gate region is positioned along a sidewall of the trench network and adjacent at least one Schottky diode cell in this embodiment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Richard A. Blanchard, Fwu-Iuan Hshieh, Koon Chong So
  • Patent number: 6472255
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device comprises: an electric charge transfer portion for transferring an electric charge produced in a photodetector through photoelectric conversion from incident light to the electric charge; and, an output amplifier portion for detecting the electric charge to issue a signal. The charge transfer portion is provided with a first gate insulation film having a sufficient film thickness to keep a predetermined transfer efficiency. The output amplifier portion is provided with a second gate insulation film having a film thickness suitable for obtaining a predetermined mutual conductance capable of increasing the gain of the output amplifier portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Hatano, Yasutaka Nakashiba
  • Patent number: 6440782
    Abstract: A silicon-based radiation-hard cryo-CMOS CCD process suitable for fabrication of devices (100) with sub-micron feature sizes. A re-oxidized nitride/oxide (RONO) layer (49″) is preserved in the CCD area (32) while plasma etching is used to define polysilicon 1 gates (50′) in the active FET area of the device. Thereafter, a wet chemical etching process, which does not destroy the integrity of the RONO layer (49″) in the CCD area, is carried out. A channel stop (48) is formed after the field oxidation step in the active FET area to reduce the space required for minimum diode breakdown voltage between the n+ source/drain region and the p+ channel stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Hughes Electronics
    Inventors: Chen-Chi P. Chang, James S. Cable
  • Patent number: 6410368
    Abstract: A strip-like first insulating layer is formed on a glass substrate, and a second insulating layer is formed on the first insulating layer. Furthermore, an island-like semiconductor layer is formed on the second insulating layer. The island-like semiconductor layer is crystallized by irradiation with laser light through both surfaces of the glass substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ritsuko Kawasaki, Kenji Kasahara, Hisashi Ohtani
  • Publication number: 20020055206
    Abstract: The formation of contact holes and a capacitor is performed in a semiconductor integrated circuit such as an active matrix circuit. An interlayer insulator having a multilayer (a lower layer is silicon oxide; an upper layer is silicon nitride) each having different dry etching characteristic is formed. Using a first mask, the silicon nitride corresponding to the upper layer in the interlayer insulator is etched by dry etching. This etching is completed by using the silicon oxide corresponding to the lower layer as an etching stopper. A pattern is formed using a second mask to form selectively the silicon oxide corresponding to the lower layer. Thus a first portion that the silicon oxide and the silicon nitride are etched and a second portion that only silicon nitride is etched are obtained. The first portion is used as a contact hole. A capacitor is formed in the second portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Publication date: May 9, 2002
    Inventor: Hongyong Zhang
  • Publication number: 20010018238
    Abstract: An array substrate for use in an X-ray sensing device and in an LCD device is fabricated using plasma gas treatment. Especially, an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) transparent conductive metallic layer is plasma-treated by N2 plasma, He plasma or Ar plasma, before forming the insulation layer on the ITO transparent conductive metallic layer. Thus, the plasma removes the impurities on a surface of the transparent conductive metallic layer and changes the lattice structure of the surface of the transparent conductive metallic layer, and thus the adhesion between the transparent conductive metallic layer and the insulation layer is improved. The defects caused by a gap or a space between the transparent conductive metallic layer and the insulation layer do not occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Inventor: Dong-Hee Kim
  • Patent number: 6114194
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a field device transistor includes forming a gate oxide layer of the field device transistor by performing a thermal oxidation process. By properly controlling the thickness of the gate oxide layer, the threshold voltage of the field device transistor can be suppressed in under 5 volts to provide sufficient protection for the internal circuit. The method of the invention includes forming a gate oxide layer of a field device transistor by performing a thermal oxidation process instead of a field oxide layer in order to obtain a better control on the thickness of the gate oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventor: Chen-Chung Hsu
  • Patent number: 6107124
    Abstract: A charge coupled device is disclosed including: a well formed in a substrate, the well having a conductivity opposite to that of the substrate; a first conductivity type of BCCD region formed on the well; a first lightly doped impurity region formed in a predetermined portion of the first conductivity type of BCCD region; a heavily doped impurity region formed in a predetermined portion of the BCCD region, the heavily doped impurity region having a predetermined distance from the first lightly doped impurity region; a second lightly doped impurity region formed between the first lightly doped impurity region and heavily doped impurity region; a first polysilicon gate formed over a portion of the BCCD region, placed between the first lightly doped impurity region and heavily doped impurity region; and a second polysilicon gate formed over the first lightly doped impurity region. The realization of high speed CCD and simplification of the circuit configuration can be obtained by using one-phase clocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: LG Semicon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Park, Do Hyung Kim, Sang Ho Moon