Patents Assigned to IMEC
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Patent number: 10347536Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor structure including: a host substrate and one or more bonding layers on top of the host substrate. The structure further includes an entity on the one or more bonding layers, where the entity includes two transistors on opposite sides of a common layer of channel material, where each transistor includes a gate, where both gates overlap each other, where both transistors share the same source and drain regions, and where each transistor have a channel defined within a same portion of the common layer of channel material overlapped by both transistor gates.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2018Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: IMEC VZWInventors: Amey Mahadev Walke, Nadine Collaert
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Patent number: 10338980Abstract: A method for binding a first and second devices is disclosed. The method is implemented using the architectural principles of REST, which allows a binding initiator to directly contact the first device and instruct the device of actions to be taken. Specifically, the binding initiator may contact the first device by providing a first REST request to the device, the request specifying that the first device is to monitor a state of a particular REST resource identified by the request and is to trigger the second device to perform a specified action when the state of that REST resource satisfies a particular condition. Using REST further allows the first device to directly contact the second device and instruct the second device to perform the specified action. Since the first device is now able to directly contact the second device, these two devices may be considered to be bound.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2017Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignees: KONINKLIJKE KPN N.V., IMEC VZW, UNIVERSITEIT GENTInventors: Jeroen Hoebeke, Girum Teklemariam, Floris Van Den Abeele
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Patent number: 10338313Abstract: An on-chip broadband radiation source, and methods for its manufacture such that a photonics IC comprises an optical waveguide such as a semiconductor waveguide, a thin III-V material membrane with absorption capability for absorbing an optical pump signal induced in the waveguide. The III-V membrane comprises a LED implemented therein. The photonics IC also comprises a coupling means between the waveguide and the membrane. The device provides a broadband radiation source at a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the transferred radiation. The broadband signal can then be coupled out through the waveguide and used in the chip.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2016Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignees: UNIVERSITEIT GENT, IMEC VZWInventors: Roeland Baets, Günther Roelkens, Andreas De Groote, Paolo Cardile, Ananth Subramanian
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Patent number: 10340188Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to manufacturing of semiconductor devices, and more particularly to manufacturing of a semiconductor device by transferring an active layer from a donor substrate. One aspect is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a donor wafer for transferring an active layer, comprising a group IV, a group III-IV or a group II-VI semiconductor material, to a handling wafer. The method includes forming the active layer on a sacrificial layer of the donor wafer, bonding the donor wafer to the handling wafer, and selectively etching the sacrificial layer to remove the donor wafer from the handling wafer, thereby leaving the active layer on the handling wafer.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2017Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: IMEC vzwInventors: Yves Mols, Niamh Waldron, Bernardette Kunert
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Patent number: 10340139Abstract: Disclosed are methods and mask structures for epitaxially growing substantially defect-free semiconductor material. In some embodiments, mask structure includes a first level defining a first trench extending through the first level, wherein a bottom of the first trench is defined by a semiconductor substrate, and a second level on top of the first level, wherein the second level defines a plurality of second trenches positioned at a non-zero angle with respect to the first trench.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2016Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: IMECInventors: Benjamin Vincent, Voon Yew Thean, Liesbeth Witters
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Patent number: 10339425Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for cell recognition. At least one embodiment relates to a method for recognizing cell. The method includes receiving an image of the cell. The method also includes performing edge detection on the image of the cell. Further, the method includes detecting ridges within the image of the cell. In addition, the method includes quantifying an internal complexity of the cell by gauging a contrast of the ridges with an average of a Laplacian on the detected ridges.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2015Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignees: IMEC VZW, KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN, KU LEUVEN R&DInventor: Dries Vercruysse
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Patent number: 10340928Abstract: Systems and methods for providing improved linearity and reduced noise in a digital phase-locked loop in which a differential time-to-digital converter is implemented. Digital-to-time converters are used for adjusting a reference clock signal based on a fractional change signal and for adjusting a feedback signal based on another fractional change signal. Each fractional change signal is centered about a midpoint, M, and offset from the midpoint by a fraction, x, such that the fractional change signals can be described as (M+x) and (M?x), respectively. By implementing a differential time-to-digital converter, the sum of delays in each input path is kept constant so that integral non-linearity is improved. Supply sensitivity is also reduced, as the same supply is applied to both differential input paths. Since the differential delay can be both positive and negative, the delay range of a differential digital-to-time converter is half that of a single input digital-to-time converter.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2018Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: Stichting IMEC NederlandInventor: Paul Mateman
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Publication number: 20190195827Abstract: Examples include a method for forming an intermediate in the fabrication of a field-effect transistor sensor, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a substrate region comprising a gate dielectric thereon and optionally a nanocavity therein, providing a sacrificial element over the substrate region, providing one or more layers having a combined thickness of at least 100 nm over the sacrificial element, opening an access to the sacrificial element through the one or more layers, and optionally selectively removing the sacrificial element, thereby opening a sensor cavity over the substrate region; wherein the sacrificial element is removable by oxidation and wherein selectively removing the sacrificial element comprises an oxidative removal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2018Publication date: June 27, 2019Applicant: IMEC VZWInventors: Koen Martens, Nadine Collaert, Eddy Kunnen, Simone Severi
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Publication number: 20190192074Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for determining a subject's stress condition. The system includes a stress test unit configured for: receiving features defining the subject and physiological signals sensed from the subject when performing a relaxation and a stressful test task; extracting normalization parameters from the physiological signals; and identifying stress-responsive physiological features. The system also includes a storage unit configured for: storing a plurality of stress models; and storing the subject's features, normalization parameters, and the stress-responsive physiological features.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2018Publication date: June 27, 2019Applicants: IMEC VZW, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KU LEUVEN R&D, Stichting IMEC NederlandInventors: Elena Smets, Emmanuel Rios Velazquez, Giuseppina Schiavone, Walter De Raedt, Christiaan Van Hoof
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Patent number: 10331201Abstract: An integrated circuit device comprising a power control unit for controlling the power of a power isle is disclosed. The power control unit comprises (i) a power gating switch implemented in the BEOL portion for switching ON/OFF the power to the power isle, (ii) a state recovery circuit comprising a memory element in the FEOL portion or BEOL portion and a transistor configuration in the BEOL portion, and (iii) a wake-up/sleep circuit in the BEOL portion adapted for receiving an identifier. The wake-up/sleep circuit is operatively connected with the power gating switch and with the state recovery circuit. Responsive to receiving the identifier, the wake-up/sleep circuit causes the power gating switch to switch OFF/ON the supply power to the power isle and causes the state recovery circuit to store/restore the state of the power isle.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2017Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: IMEC VZWInventors: Soeren Steudel, Liesbet Van der Perre, Bruno Mollekens
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Patent number: 10333059Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to forming a semiconductor structure and more particularly to forming a stack of layers of a semiconductor structure using a sacrificial layer that is removed during deposition of a functional layer. In one aspect, the disclosed technology relates to a method of protecting a top surface of a layer in a semiconductor structure. The method comprises: providing the layer on a substrate, the layer having an initial thickness and an initial composition; forming a sacrificial metal layer on and in contact with the layer, the sacrificial metal layer comprising a light metal element; and depositing by physical vapor deposition a functional metal layer on and in contact with the sacrificial metal layer. The sacrificial metal layer is removed by sputtering during the deposition of the functional metal layer, such that an interface is formed between the layer and the functional metal layer.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2016Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: IMEC vzwInventors: Johan Swerts, Sofie Mertens
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Patent number: 10334755Abstract: A liquid cooling system for cooling an electronic device comprising a chip or a chip package comprising a chip is described. The liquid cooling system comprises an inlet plenum comprising a coolant feeding channel oriented substantially parallel with the plane of a main surface to be cooled of the chip and a plurality of inlet cooling channels fluidically connected to the coolant feeding channel and arranged vertically for impinging a liquid coolant directly on said main surface of the chip. The vertically oriented inlet cooling channels are substantially parallel to vertically oriented outlet cooling channels and are separated by a thermally isolating material. The liquid cooling system further comprises at least one cavity wherein a plurality of inlet and outlet cooling channels end. The cavity is arranged for allowing interaction between the liquid coolant and the main surface of the chip and thus comprises a heat transfer region.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2016Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: IMEC VZWInventors: Herman Oprins, Vladimir Cherman, Eric Beyne
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Patent number: 10332850Abstract: Provided herein is a method for producing hollow contact areas for insertion bonding, formed on a semiconductor substrate comprising a stack of one or more metallization layers on a surface of the substrate. Openings are etched in a dielectric layer by plasma etching, using a resist layer as a mask. The resist layer and plasma etch parameters are chosen to obtain openings with sloped sidewalls having a pre-defined slope, due to controlled formation of a polymer layer forming on the sidewalls of the resist hole and the hollow contact opening formed during etching. According to a preferred embodiment, metal deposited in the hollow contact areas and on top of the dielectric layer is planarized using chemical mechanical polishing, leading to mutually isolated contact areas. The disclosure is also related to components obtainable by the method and to a semiconductor package comprising such components.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2014Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: IMECInventors: Eric Beyne, Wenqi Zhang, Geraldine Jamieson, Bart Swinnen
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Patent number: 10330580Abstract: A microfluidic magnetic selector comprises a microfluidic channel comprising at least one bifurcation, forming a selection portion of the selector and splitting the microfluidic channel into a main channel and at least one selection channel; at least one magnetic flux concentrator for concentrating a magnetic flux at the level of the bifurcation, and means for generating a magnetic field within the magnetic flux concentrator, and a controller for controlling magnetic pulses through the magnetic flux concentrator.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2016Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: IMEC VZWInventors: Richard Min, Liesbet Lagae, Chengxun Liu, Chengjun Huang
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Patent number: 10332588Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosed technology, a SRAM device includes a first stack of transistors and a second stack of transistors arranged on a substrate. Each of the first and second stacks includes a pull-up transistor, a pull-down transistor and a pass transistor, where each of the transistors includes a horizontally extending channel. In each of the first and second stacks, the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor have a common gate electrode extending vertically therebetween, and the pass transistor has a gate electrode separated from the common gate electrode. A source/drain of each of the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor and a source/drain of the pass transistor included in one of the first stack and the second stack are electrically interconnected with the common gate electrode of the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor included in the other of the first stack and the second stack.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignees: IMEC vzw, Vrije Universiteit BrusselInventors: Trong Huynh Bao, Julien Ryckaert, Praveen Raghavan, Pieter Weckx
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Publication number: 20190189458Abstract: A method for producing a pattern of features on a substrate may involve performing two exposure steps on a resist layer applied to the substrate, followed by a single etching step. In the two exposures, the same pattern of mask features is used, but with possibly differing dimensions and with the pattern applied in the second exposure being shifted in position relative to the pattern in the first exposure. The shift, lithographic parameters, and/or possibly differing dimensions are configured such that a number of resist areas exposed in the second exposure overlap one or more resist areas exposed in the first exposure. When the pattern of mask features is a regular 2-dimensional array, the method produces of an array of holes or pillars that is denser than the original array. Varying the mask patterns can produce different etched structure shapes, such as a zig-zag pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2018Publication date: June 20, 2019Applicant: IMEC VZWInventors: Waikin Li, Danilo De Simone, Sandip Halder, Frederic Lazzarino
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Patent number: 10326031Abstract: Methods of patterning an amorphous semiconductor layer according to a predetermined pattern via laser ablation with a pulsed laser having a laser wavelength are disclosed. In one aspect, a method may include providing the amorphous semiconductor layer on a substrate, providing a distributed Bragg reflector on the amorphous semiconductor layer, wherein the distributed Bragg reflector is reflective at the laser wavelength, providing an absorbing layer on the distributed Bragg reflector, wherein the absorbing layer is absorptive at the laser wavelength, patterning the absorbing layer by laser ablation, in accordance with the predetermined pattern, patterning the distributed Bragg reflector by performing an etching step using the patterned absorbing layer as an etch mask, and etching the amorphous semiconductor layer using the patterned distributed Bragg reflector as an etch mask.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2017Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignees: IMEC vzw, Katholieke Universiteit LeuvenInventors: Menglei Xu, Miha Filipic, Twan Bearda
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Patent number: 10323981Abstract: An example embodiment may include an interferometer. The interferometer may include a multimode waveguide with an input waveguide optically coupled to a first side of the multimode waveguide, for feeding a light signal to the multimode waveguide. The interferometer may also include a first waveguide at one end optically coupled to a second side of the multimode waveguide, and at the other end terminated by a first waveguide mirror. The interferometer may also include a second waveguide at one end optically coupled to the second side of the multimode waveguide and at the other end terminated by a second waveguide mirror. The multimode waveguide may be adapted to distribute the light signal towards the first and second waveguide mirror via the first waveguide and via the second waveguide.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2016Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignees: IMEC VZW, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventor: Tom Claes
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Patent number: 10325710Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to a magnetoresistive device and more particularly to a magnetoresistive device comprising chromium. According to an aspect, a method of forming a magnetoresistive device comprises forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure over a substrate. The MTJ structure includes, in a bottom-up direction away from the substrate, a free layer, a tunnel barrier layer and a reference layer. The method additionally includes forming a pinning layer over the MTJ structure, wherein the pinning layer pins a magnetization direction of the reference layer. The method additionally includes forming capping layer comprising chromium (Cr) over the pinning layer. The method further includes annealing the capping layer under a condition sufficient to cause diffusion of Cr from the capping layer into at least the pinning layer. According to another aspect, a magnetoresistive device is formed according to the method.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2018Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: IMEC vzwInventors: Johan Swerts, Sebastien Couet
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Patent number: 10325647Abstract: A memory cell is disclosed, comprising a static random-access memory, SRAM, bit cell, a first resistive memory element and a second resistive memory element. The first resistive memory element is connected to a first storage node of the SRAM bit cell and a first intermediate node, and the second resistive memory element connected to a second storage node of the SRAM bit cell and a second intermediate node. Each one of the first intermediate node and the second intermediate node is configured to be supplied with a first supply voltage via a first transistor and a second supply voltage via a second transistor, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are complementary transistors separately controllable by a first word line and a second word line, respectively. Methods for operating such a memory cell are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2017Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignees: IMEC VZW, VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KU Leuven R&DInventors: Sushil Sakhare, Trong Huynh Bao, Manu Komalan Perumkunnil