Patents Represented by Attorney Wells St. John P.S.
  • Patent number: 8349699
    Abstract: First and second isolation trenches are formed into semiconductive material of a semiconductor substrate. The first isolation trench has a narrowest outermost cross sectional dimension which is less than that of the second isolation trench. An insulative layer is deposited to within the first and second isolation trenches effective to fill remaining volume of the first isolation trench within the semiconductive material but not that of the second isolation trench within the semiconductive material. The insulative layer comprises silicon dioxide deposited from flowing TEOS to the first and second isolation trenches. A spin-on-dielectric is deposited over the silicon dioxide deposited from flowing the TEOS within the second isolation trench within the semiconductive material, but not within the first isolation trench within the semiconductive material. The spin-on-dielectric is deposited effective to fill remaining volume of the second isolation trench within the semiconductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Patraw, Martin Ceredig Roberts, Keith R. Cook
  • Patent number: 8351242
    Abstract: Some embodiments include electronic devices having two capacitors connected in series. The two capacitors share a common electrode. One of the capacitors includes a region of a semiconductor substrate and a dielectric between such region and the common electrode. The other of the capacitors includes a second electrode and ion conductive material between the second electrode and the common electrode. At least one of the first and second electrodes has an electrochemically active surface directly against the ion conductive material. Some embodiments include memory cells having two capacitors connected in series, and some embodiments include memory arrays containing such memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: D. V. Nirmal Ramaswamy, Kirk D. Prall
  • Patent number: 8349545
    Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming patterns of openings. The methods may include forming spaced features over a substrate. The features may have tops and may have sidewalls extending downwardly from the tops. A first material may be formed along the tops and sidewalls of the features. The first material may be formed by spin-casting a conformal layer of the first material across the features, or by selective deposition along the features relative to the substrate. After the first material is formed, fill material may be provided between the features while leaving regions of the first material exposed. The exposed regions of the first material may then be selectively removed relative to both the fill material and the features to create the pattern of openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Sills, Gurtej Sandhu, John Smythe, Ming Zhang
  • Patent number: 8343828
    Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming diodes. A stack may be formed over a first conductive material. The stack may include, in ascending order, a sacrificial material, at least one dielectric material, and a second conductive material. Spacers may be formed along opposing sidewalls of the stack, and then an entirety of the sacrificial material may be removed to leave a gap between the first conductive material and the at least one dielectric material. In some embodiments of forming diodes, a layer may be formed over a first conductive material, with the layer containing supports interspersed in sacrificial material. At least one dielectric material may be formed over the layer, and a second conductive material may be formed over the at least one dielectric material. An entirety of the sacrificial material may then be removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurtej Sandhu, Bhaskar Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8344436
    Abstract: Some embodiments include DRAM having transistor gates extending partially over SOI, and methods of forming such DRAM. Unit cells of the DRAM may be within active region pedestals, and in some embodiments the unit cells may comprise capacitors having storage nodes in direct contact with sidewalls of the active region pedestals. Some embodiments include 0C1T memory having transistor gates entirely over SOI, and methods of forming such 0C1T memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Kunal R. Parekh
  • Patent number: 8338297
    Abstract: Selective deposition of metal over dielectric layers in a manner that minimizes of eliminates keyhole formation is provided. According to one embodiment, a dielectric target layer is formed over a substrate layer, wherein the target layer may be configured as allow conformal metal deposition, and a dielectric second layer is formed over the target layer, wherein the second layer may be configured to allow bottom-up metal deposition. An opening may then be formed in the second layer and metal may be selectively deposited over substrate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul A Morgan, Nishant Sinha
  • Patent number: 8338206
    Abstract: A gas sensitive material comprising SnO2 nanocrystals doped with In2O3 and an oxide of a platinum group metal, and a method of making the same. The platinum group metal is preferably Pd, but also may include Pt, Ru, Ir, and combinations thereof. The SnO2 nanocrystals have a specific surface of 7 or greater, preferably about 20 m2/g, and a mean particle size of between about 10 nm and about 100 nm, preferably about 40 nm. A gas detection device made from the gas sensitive material deposited on a substrate, the gas sensitive material configured as a part of a current measuring circuit in communication with a heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Inventors: Leonid Israilevich Trakhtenberg, Genrikh Nikolaevich Gerasimov, Vladimir Fedorovich Gromov, Valeriya Isaakovna Rozenberg
  • Patent number: 8337138
    Abstract: A thermoformed article stack segmenting apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a frame, a stacked article guide channel, a forward engaging drive finger, a reciprocating actuator and a rearward engaging holding finger. The stacked article guide channel is carried by the frame and configured to receive and guide a stack of inter-nested articles exiting a female die of a thermoforming trim press. The reciprocating actuator is coupled with the finger to drive the finger forward in engagement with one separated stack of articles. The actuator also drives the finger rearward in a retractable state to separate another, successive stack of articles. The rearward engaging holding finger is supported by the frame and is configured to hold the another, successive stack while driving the forward engaging drive finger forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Inventor: Jere F. Irwin
  • Patent number: 8330726
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus, with which the setting position adjustment of imaging sections is not required and the maintenance can be made easily, structuring of which can be realized with low-cost components, is provided. In the position detection apparatus, imaging sections (7), each of those which includes an area image sensor (70), in which light-sensitive elements are arrayed in a two-dimensional pattern, and an image formation lens (71), are placed to the lateral two points of a detection plane (1), respectively. A selection device (10) selects particular pixels corresponding to a particular field of view of a reflex reflection frame (4) or the like from the light-sensitive elements within a range of a given field of view having been imaged by the imaging sections (7). An image processing device (11) image-processes a particular image signal corresponding to the selected particular pixels and then outputs an indicating position coordinate of a pointing device (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignees: Xiroku, Inc., EIT Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuji Ogawa, Kenji Tsunezaki
  • Patent number: 8323995
    Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming diodes. The methods may include oxidation of an upper surface of a conductive electrode to form an oxide layer over the conductive electrode. In some embodiments, the methods may include formation of an oxidizable material over a conductive electrode, and subsequent oxidation of the oxidizable material to form an oxide layer over the conductive electrode. In some embodiments, the methods may include formation of a metal halide layer over a conductive electrode. Some embodiments include diodes that contain a metal halide layer between a pair of diode electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurtej S. Sandhu, Bhaskar Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8323736
    Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming metal-containing structures. A first metal-containing material may be formed over a substrate. After the first metal-containing material is formed, and while the substrate is within a reaction chamber, hydrogen-containing reactant may be used to form a hydrogen-containing layer over the first metal-containing material. The hydrogen-containing reactant may be, for example, formic acid and/or formaldehyde. Any unreacted hydrogen-containing reactant may be purged from within the reaction chamber, and then metal-containing precursor may be flowed into the reaction chamber. The hydrogen-containing layer may be used during conversion of the metal-containing precursor into a second metal-containing material that forms directly against the first metal-containing material. Some embodiments include methods of forming germanium-containing structures, such as, for example, methods of forming phase change materials containing germanium, antimony and tellurium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Quick, Eugene P. Marsh
  • Patent number: 8320173
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a memory cell includes a transistor gate spaced from a channel region by gate dielectric; a source region on one side of the channel region; and a drain region on an opposing side of the channel region from the source region. The channel region has phase change material adjacent the drain region. In some embodiments, the phase change material may be adjacent both the source region and the drain region. Some embodiments include methods of programming a memory cell that has phase change material adjacent a drain region. An inversion layer is formed within the channel region adjacent the gate dielectric, with the inversion layer having a pinch-off region within the phase change material adjacent the drain region. Hot carriers (for instance, electrons) within the pinch-off region are utilized to change a phase within the phase change material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jun Liu
  • Patent number: 8319272
    Abstract: The invention includes optoelectronic devices containing one or more layers of semiconductor-enriched insulator (with exemplary semiconductor-enriched insulator being silicon-enriched silicon oxide and silicon-enriched silicon nitride), and includes solar cells containing one or more layers of semiconductor-enriched insulator. The invention also includes methods of forming optoelectronic devices and solar cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Arup Bhattacharyya
  • Patent number: 8309413
    Abstract: Methods of etching into silicon oxide-containing material with an etching ambient having at least 75 volume percent helium. The etching ambient may also include carbon monoxide, O2 and one or more fluorocarbons. The openings formed in the silicon oxide -containing material may be utilized for fabrication of container capacitors, and such capacitors may be incorporated into DRAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Russell A. Benson
  • Patent number: 8309424
    Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming low k dielectric regions between electrically conductive lines. A construction may be formed to have a plurality of spaced apart electrically conductive lines, and to have sacrificial material between the electrically conductive lines. The sacrificial material may be removed. Subsequently, electrically insulative material may be deposited over and between the lines. The deposition of the insulative material may occur under conditions in which bread-loafing of the insulative material creates bridges of the insulative material across gas-filled gaps between the lines. The gas-filled gaps may be considered to correspond to low k dielectric regions between the electrically conductive lines. In some embodiments the sacrificial material may be carbon. In some embodiments, the deposited insulative material may be a low k dielectric material, and in other embodiments the deposited insulative material may not be a low k dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Alex J. Schrinsky
  • Patent number: 8307768
    Abstract: A bullet for a firearm includes a rear unit that comprises substantially a solid structure. Additionally, the bullet includes a front unit separate and discrete from the rear unit. The front unit defines a cavity and at least a portion of the rear unit is secured in the cavity of the front unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Inventor: Joseph Cziglenyi
  • Patent number: 8304818
    Abstract: The invention includes a method of forming a semiconductor construction. Dopant is implanted into the upper surface of a monocrystalline silicon substrate. The substrate is etched to form a plurality of trenches and cross-trenches which define a plurality of pillars. After the etching, dopant is implanted within the trenches to form a source/drain region that extends less than an entirety of the trench width. The invention includes a semiconductor construction having a bit line disposed within a semiconductor substrate below a first elevation. A wordline extends elevationally upward from the first elevation and substantially orthogonal relative to the bit line. A vertical transistor structure is associated with the wordline. The transistor structure has a channel region laterally surrounded by a gate layer and is horizontally offset relative to the bit line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Forbes
  • Patent number: 8297275
    Abstract: Some embodiments include adjustable oral airway devices. The devices may contain a bite block, a tongue deflector extending through the bite block, and at least one locking mechanism configured for releasably retaining the tongue deflector in one of two or more predetermined positions within the bite block. Some embodiments include adjustable oral airway kits. Such kits may contain a bite block, a tongue deflector configured to extend within an opening in the bite block, and at least one locking mechanism configured for releasably retaining the tongue deflector in one of two or more predetermined positions within the bite block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Inventors: Daniel Ogilvie, Beata Zawadzka
  • Patent number: D672610
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Inventors: Jun Hee Park, Su Jin Lee
  • Patent number: D674154
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventors: Sung Soo Shin, Samuel Kai-Der Chen