Patents Represented by Attorney Yuanmin Cai
  • Patent number: 8017483
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming asymmetric field-effect-transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory G. Freeman, Shreesh Narasimha, Ning Su, Hasan M. Nayfeh, Nivo Rovedo, Werner A. Rausch, Jian Yu
  • Patent number: 8015511
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for making mask shape adjustment The method includes creating a first mask shape; identifying one or more mask segments of the first mask shape as candidate mask segments of needing segment adjustment; applying an optical proximity correction (OPC) process to the first mask shape, the OPC process identifying at least one of the candidate mask segments as a constrained mask segment; applying a rotational adjustment to the constrained mask segment; and creating a second mask shape having the constrained mask segment being rotationally adjusted. A system and a machine-readable medium for performing the above method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, InfineonTechnologies North America Corporation
    Inventors: Azalia Krasnoperova, Ian P Stobert, Klaus Herold
  • Patent number: 8008209
    Abstract: A technique is described whereby temperature gradients are created within a semiconductor wafer. Temperature sensitive etching and/or deposition processes are then employed. These temperature sensitive processes proceed at different rates in regions with different temperatures. To reduce pinch off in etching processes, a temperature sensitive etch process is selected and a temperature gradient is created between the surface and subsurface of a wafer such that the etching process proceeds more slowly at the surface than deeper in the wafer. This reduces “crusting” of solid reaction products at trench openings, thereby eliminating pinch off in many cases. Similar temperature-sensitive deposition processes can be employed to produce void-free high aspect ratio conductors and trench fills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael R. Sievers, Kaushik A. Kumar, Andres F. Munoz, Richard Wise
  • Patent number: 8003473
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes defining a sub-collector region in a layer of doped semiconductor material; forming an active region, a dielectric region, and a reach-through region on top of the layer of doped semiconductor material with the dielectric region separating the active region from the reach-through region; and siliciding the reach-through region and a portion of the sub-collector region to form a partially silicided conductive pathway. A semiconductor device made thereby is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Francois Pagette, Christian Lavoie, Anna Topol
  • Patent number: 7989298
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of making the device are provided. The method can include forming a gate conductor overlying a major surface of a monocrystalline semiconductor region and forming first spacers on exposed walls of the gate conductor. Using the gate conductor and the first spacers as a mask, at least extension regions are implanted in the semiconductor region and dummy spacers are formed extending outward from the first spacers. Using the dummy spacers as a mask, the semiconductor region is etched to form recesses having at least substantially straight walls extending downward from the major surface to a bottom surface, such that a substantial angle is defined between the bottom surface and the walls. Subsequently, the process is continued by epitaxially growing regions of stressed monocrystalline semiconductor material within the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc
    Inventors: Kevin K. Chan, Brian J. Greene, Judson R. Holt, Jeffrey B. Johnson, Thomas S. Kanarsky, Jophy S. Koshy, Kevin McStay, Dae-Gyu Park, Johan W. Weijtmans, Frank B. Yang
  • Patent number: 7989297
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming asymmetric field-effect-transistors. The method includes forming a gate structure on top of a semiconductor substrate, the gate structure including a gate stack and spacers adjacent to sidewalls of the gate stack, and having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side; performing angled ion-implantation from the first side of the gate structure in the substrate, thereby forming an ion-implanted region adjacent to the first side, wherein the gate structure prevents the angled ion-implantation from reaching the substrate adjacent to the second side of the gate structure; and performing epitaxial growth on the substrate at the first and second sides of the gate structure. As a result, epitaxial growth on the ion-implanted region is much slower than a region experiencing no ion-implantation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Haizhou Yin, Xinhui Wang, Kevin K. Chan, Zhibin Ren
  • Patent number: 7932549
    Abstract: A trench-type storage device includes a trench in a substrate (100), with bundles of carbon nanotubes (202) lining the trench and a trench conductor (300) filling the trench. A trench dielectric (200) may be formed between the carbon nanotubes and the sidewall of the trench. The bundles of carbon nanotubes form an open cylinder structure lining the trench. The device is formed by providing a carbon nanotube catalyst structure on the substrate and patterning the trench in the substrate; the carbon nanotubes are then grown down into the trench to line the trench with the carbon nanotube bundles, after which the trench is filled with the trench conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Holmes, Toshiharu Furukawa, Mark C. Hakey, David V. Horak, Charles W. Koburger, III, Larry A. Nesbit
  • Patent number: 7915540
    Abstract: A tamper-proof structure for protecting an electronic module, comprising a pattern of signal lines having a highly unpredictable layout, which is an approximation of a space-filling curve obtained by the replication of at least one elementary space element having an inscribed base curve inscribed therein. The base curve is adapted, by replication of the elementary space element, to generate an approximation of an at least two-dimensional space-filling curve, the replication being such that an end of the base curve in one elementary space element is connected to the end of the base curve in another, adjacent elementary space element of the replication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Stefano Sergio Oggioni
  • Patent number: 7895547
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for performing lumped-process model calibration. The method includes creating a plurality of sub-process models for a set of sub-processes; creating a lumped-process-model incorporating said set of sub-processes; calculating a first set of output patterns from a set of test patterns by using said plurality of sub-process models; calculating a second set of output patterns from said set of test patterns by using said lumped-process-model; and adjusting process parameters used in said lumped-process-model to calculate said second set of output patterns to match said first set of output patterns. A computer system for performing the lumped-process model calibration is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott M Mansfield, Geng Han, Jason E Meiring, Dario Gil
  • Patent number: 7888738
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a microelectronic structure including a conductive element contacting a bulk semiconductor region of a substrate, the bulk semiconductor region being separated from a semiconductor-on-insulator (“SOI”) layer of the substrate by a buried dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Amanda L. Tessier, Brian L. Tessier, Bryant C. Colwill
  • Patent number: 7867893
    Abstract: A method is provided of forming a conductive via for contacting a bulk semiconductor region of a semiconductor-on-insulator (“SOI”) substrate. A first opening is formed in a conformal layer overlying a trench isolation region, where the trench isolation region shares an edge with the SOI layer. A dielectric layer then is deposited atop the conformal layer and the trench isolation region, after which a second opening is formed which is aligned with the first opening, the second opening extending through the dielectric layer to expose the bulk semiconductor region. Finally, the conductive via is formed in the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Haining S. Yang, Ramachandra Divakaruni, Byeong Y. Kim, Junedong Lee, Gaku Sudo
  • Patent number: 7863563
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus employing an electron beam to expose the structure of a micro device and produce an image of the structure. The apparatus includes an electron gun producing the electron beam; an electron beam column having one or more segments that shape, focus and/or deflect the electron beams; and one or more center tubes along the electron beam column that provides a high vacuum environment for and guiding the electron beam to a target object coated with an electron sensitive resist. At least one of the center tubes is a carbon tube made of solid carbon material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lonn E. Moore, Rajinder S. Dhaliwal, Maris A. Sturans
  • Patent number: 7863112
    Abstract: Protecting a FET from plasma damage during FEOL processing by forming a FET-like structure in conjunction with and adjacent to an FET, in a same well as the FET, but having a body doped opposite to the well polarity. The FET-like structure is formed with thinner oxide than the gate oxide of the FET, has a gate structure (poly) connected with the gate of the FET, and may be shorted out by the first metal layer (M1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Deleep R. Nair, Terence B. Hook
  • Patent number: 7865750
    Abstract: Measurement circuit components are included in an integrated circuit fabricated on a semiconductor substrate. A method is provided for controlling the speed of a cooling fan provided to cool an integrated circuit in which includes the steps of receiving a voltage from a thermal diode, addressing a table of digital temperatures by incrementing the address of the table entries every clock cycle of a circuit clock, converting the addressed data to a second voltage representing temperature, comparing the first voltage to the second voltage, providing a resulting temperature when both the first and second voltages are equal, and adjusting the fan speed accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Deepak K. Singh, Francois Ibrahim Atallah, David Howard Allen
  • Patent number: 7863693
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of forming a conductive stud contacting a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a protective layer covering the semiconductor device; selectively etching an opening down through the protective layer reaching a contact area of the semiconductor device, the opening being away from a protected area of the semiconductor device; and filling the opening with a conductive material to form the conductive stud. One embodiment may further include forming a dielectric liner directly on top of the semiconductor device, and forming the protective layer on top of the dielectric liner. Embodiments of the present invention also provide a semiconductor device made thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Infineon Technologies North America Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas W. Dyer, Sunfei Fang, Jiang Yan
  • Patent number: 7851376
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of forming a compressive stress nitride film overlying a plurality of p-type field effect transistor gate structures produced on a substrate through a high-density plasma deposition process. Embodiments include generating an environment filled with high-density plasma using source gases of at least silane, argon and nitrogen; biasing the substrate to a high frequency power of varying density, in a range between 0.8 W/cm2 and 5.0 W/cm2; and depositing the high-density plasma to the plurality of gate structures to form the compressive stress nitride film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daewon Yang, Woo-Hyeong Lee, Tai-chi Su, Yun-Yu Wang
  • Patent number: 7843742
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a memory system including a memory cell array and being connected to an address input, a command input, and a data input/output, said memory system including latching circuits (RALTH and WALTH) for latching a read address and a write address being inputted from the address input, an address selection circuit (ACOMSEL) for selecting, as an access address, any one of the read address and the write address being latched in the latching circuits, a read latching circuit (PFLTH) for latching a read data being read from the memory cell array, a write latching circuit (DINLTH) for latching a write data being inputted from the data input/output and a control circuit (ACTL) for controlling the access address being selected by said address selection circuit in response to a command being inputted from said command input, said control circuit for controlling, if the memory cell corresponding to said selected access address is activated and further said selected access address is a write
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Sunaga, Norio Fujita
  • Patent number: 7842592
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method of applying stress to a channel region underneath a gate of a field-effect-transistor, which includes the gate, a source region, and a drain region. The method includes steps of embedding stressors in the source and drain regions of the FET; forming a stress liner covering the gate and the source and drain regions; removing a portion of the stress liner, the portion of the stress liner being located on top of the gate of the FET; removing at least a substantial portion of the gate of a first gate material and thus creating an opening therein; and filling the opening with a second gate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Dyer, Rajendran Krishnasamy, Jin-Ping Han, Ernst Demm
  • Patent number: 7834277
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing printed a circuit board capable of formation of via holes having a low aspect ratio and formation of fine lines, and a printed circuit board manufactured by the method. The method of manufacturing a printed circuit board 10 according to the present invention includes a step of selectively forming a plating layer 16 for lands 22a and 22b on a metal foil 14 on the printed circuit board 10, a step of adjusting the thickness of the plating layer 16, and a step of forming the metal foil 14 into lines 14a. The aspect ratio of via holes 28 formed on lands 22a and 22b can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the lands 22a and 22b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kohichi Ohsumi, Kenji Terada, Kohichi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7816253
    Abstract: When an interconnect structure is built on porous ultra low k (ULK) material, the bottom of the trench and/or via is usually damaged by a following metallization process which may be suitable for dense higher dielectric materials. Embodiment of the present invention may provide a method of forming an interconnect structure on an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) material. The method includes steps of treating an exposed area of said ILD material to create a densified area, and metallizing said densified area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shyng-Tsong Chen, Qinghuang Lin, Kelly Malone, Sanjay Mehta, Terry A. Spooner, Chih-Chao Yang