Patents Assigned to TESSERA LLC
  • Patent number: 11978639
    Abstract: First lithography and etching are carried out on a semiconductor structure to provide a first intermediate semiconductor structure having a first set of surface features corresponding to a first portion of desired fin formation mandrels. Second lithography and etching are carried out on the first intermediate structure, using a second mask, to provide a second intermediate semiconductor structure having a second set of surface features corresponding to a second portion of the mandrels. The second set of surface features are unequally spaced from the first set of surface features and/or the features have different pitch. The fin formation mandrels are formed in the second intermediate semiconductor structure using the first and second sets of surface features; spacer material is deposited over the mandrels and is etched back to form a third intermediate semiconductor structure having a fin pattern. Etching is carried out on same to produce the fin pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Fee Li Lie, Dongbing Shao, Robert C. Wong, Yongan Xu
  • Patent number: 11929286
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes fins that have a 2D material, such as Graphene, upon at least the fin sidewalls. The thickness of the 2D material sidewall may be tuned to achieve desired finFET band gap control. Neighboring fins of the semiconductor structure form fin wells. The semiconductor structure may include a fin cap upon each fin and the 2D material is formed upon the sidewalls of the fin and the bottom surface of the fin wells. The semiconductor structure may include a well-plug at the bottom of the fin wells and the 2D material is formed upon the sidewalls and upper surface of the fins. The semiconductor structure may include both fin caps and well-plugs such that the 2D material is formed upon the sidewalls of the fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Sami Rosenblatt, Rasit O. Topaloglu
  • Patent number: 11881433
    Abstract: A device relates to a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a narrow-line bamboo microstructure integrated within a metal layer of the semiconductor device and a narrow-line polycrystalline microstructure. The narrow-line polycrystalline microstructure is integrated within the same metal layer as the narrow-line bamboo microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Daniel C. Edelstein, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Patent number: 11837501
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device having a vertical metal line interconnect (via) fully aligned to a first direction of a first interconnect layer and a second direction of a second interconnect layer in a selective recess region by forming a plurality of metal lines in a first dielectric layer; and recessing in a recess region first portions of the plurality of metal lines such that top surfaces of the first portions of the plurality of metal lines are below a top surface of the first dielectric layer; wherein a non-recess region includes second portions of the plurality of metal lines that are outside the recess region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: TESSERA LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin D. Briggs, Jessica Dechene, Elbert Huang, Joe Lee, Theodorus E. Standaert
  • Patent number: 11830845
    Abstract: Apparatuses relating to a microelectronic package are disclosed. In one such apparatus, a substrate has first contacts on an upper surface thereof. A microelectronic die has a lower surface facing the upper surface of the substrate and having second contacts on an upper surface of the microelectronic die. Wire bonds have bases joined to the first contacts and have edge surfaces between the bases and corresponding end surfaces. A first portion of the wire bonds are interconnected between a first portion of the first contacts and the second contacts. The end surfaces of a second portion of the wire bonds are above the upper surface of the microelectronic die. A dielectric layer is above the upper surface of the substrate and between the wire bonds. The second portion of the wire bonds have uppermost portions thereof bent over to be parallel with an upper surface of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: TESSERA LLC
    Inventors: Hiroaki Sato, Teck-Gyu Kang, Belgacem Haba, Philip R. Osborn, Wei-Shun Wang, Ellis Chau, Ilyas Mohammed, Norihito Masuda, Kazuo Sakuma, Kiyoaki Hashimoto, Kurosawa Inetaro, Tomoyuki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11804405
    Abstract: Low capacitance and high reliability interconnect structures and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a copper based interconnect structure in an opening of a dielectric material. The method further includes forming a capping layer on the copper based interconnect structure. The method further includes oxidizing the capping layer and any residual material formed on a surface of the dielectric material. The method further includes forming a barrier layer on the capping layer by outdiffusing a material from the copper based interconnect structure to a surface of the capping layer. The method further includes removing the residual material, while the barrier layer on the surface of the capping layer protects the capping layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Daniel C. Edelstein, Son V. Nguyen, Takeshi Nogami, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga Shobha
  • Patent number: 11798852
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of forming a first layer cap at ends of layers of first channel material in a stack of alternating layers of first channel material and second channel material. A second layer cap is formed at ends of the layers of second channel material. The first layer caps are etched away in a first device region. The second layer caps are etched away in a second device region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Zhenxing Bi, Kangguo Cheng, Peng Xu, Wenyu Xu
  • Patent number: 11776957
    Abstract: A method of forming a power rail to semiconductor devices comprising removing a portion of the gate structure forming a gate cut trench separating a first active region of fin structures from a second active region of fin structures. A conformal etch stop layer is formed in the gate cut trench. A fill material is formed on the conformal etch stop layer filling at least a portion of the gate cut trench. The fill material has a composition that is etched selectively to the conformal etch stop layer. A power rail is formed in the gate cut trench. The conformal etch stop layer obstructs lateral etching during forming the power rail to substantially eliminate power rail to gate structure shorting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TESSERA LLC
    Inventors: Marc A. Bergendahl, Andrew M. Greene, Rajasekhar Venigalla
  • Patent number: 11710658
    Abstract: A method of forming fully aligned vias in a semiconductor device, the method including forming a first level interconnect line embedded in a first interlevel dielectric (ILD), selectively depositing a dielectric on the first interlevel dielectric, laterally etching the selectively deposited dielectric, depositing a dielectric cap layer and a second level interlevel dielectric on top of the first interlevel dielectric, and forming a via opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: TESSERA LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin David Briggs, Joe Lee, Theodorus Eduardus Standaert
  • Patent number: 11699591
    Abstract: First lithography and etching are carried out on a semiconductor structure to provide a first intermediate semiconductor structure having a first set of surface features corresponding to a first portion of desired fin formation mandrels. Second lithography and etching are carried out on the first intermediate structure, using a second mask, to provide a second intermediate semiconductor structure having a second set of surface features corresponding to a second portion of the mandrels. The second set of surface features are unequally spaced from the first set of surface features and/or the features have different pitch. The fin formation mandrels are formed in the second intermediate semiconductor structure using the first and second sets of surface features; spacer material is deposited over the mandrels and is etched back to form a third intermediate semiconductor structure having a fin pattern. Etching is carried out on same to produce the fin pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Fee Li Lie, Dongbing Shao, Robert C. Wong, Yongan Xu
  • Patent number: 11682715
    Abstract: Fabricating a nanosheet transistor includes receiving a substrate structure having a set of nanosheet layers stacked upon a substrate, the set of nanosheet layers including at least one silicon (Si) layer, at least one silicon-germanium (SiGe) layer, a fin formed in the nanosheet layers, a gate region formed within the fin, and a trench region adjacent to the fin. A top sacrificial spacer is formed upon the fin and the trench region and etched to form a trench in the trench region. An indentation is formed within the SiGe layer in the trench region, and a sacrificial inner spacer is formed within the indentation. A source/drain (S/D) region is formed within the trench. The sacrificial top spacer and sacrificial inner spacer are etched to form an inner spacer cavity between the S/D region and the SiGe layer. An inner spacer is formed within the inner spacer cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Julien Frougier, Nicolas Loubet
  • Patent number: 11676854
    Abstract: A method is presented forming a fully-aligned via (FAV) and airgaps within a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a plurality of copper (Cu) trenches within an insulating layer, forming a plurality of ILD regions over exposed portions of the insulating layer, selectively removing a first section of the ILD regions in an airgap region, and maintaining a second section of the ILD regions in a non-airgap region. The method further includes forming airgaps in the airgap region and forming a via in the non-airgap region contacting a Cu trench of the plurality of Cu trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Christopher J. Penny, Benjamin D. Briggs, Huai Huang, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Michael Rizzolo, Hosadurga Shobha
  • Patent number: 11670510
    Abstract: A method of forming a structure for etch masking that includes forming first dielectric spacers on sidewalls of a plurality of mandrel structures and forming non-mandrel structures in space between adjacent first dielectric spacers. Second dielectric spacers are formed on sidewalls of an etch mask having a window that exposes a connecting portion of a centralized first dielectric spacer. The connecting portion of the centralized first dielectric spacer is removed. The mandrel structures and non-mandrel structures are removed selectively to the first dielectric spacers to provide an etch mask. The connecting portion removed from the centralized first dielectric spacer provides an opening connecting a first trench corresponding to the mandrel structures and a second trench corresponding to the non-mandrel structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Sean D. Burns, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Matthew E. Colburn, Nelson M. Felix, Sivananda K. Kanakasabapathy, Christopher J. Penny, Roger A. Quon, Nicole A. Saulnier
  • Patent number: 11664375
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to semiconductors, and more particularly, to a structure and method of minimizing shorting between epitaxial regions in small pitch fin field effect transistors (FinFETs). In an embodiment, a dielectric region may be formed in a middle portion of a gate structure. The gate structure be formed using a gate replacement process, and may cover a middle portion of a first fin group, a middle portion of a second fin group and an intermediate region of the substrate between the first fin group and the second fin group. The dielectric region may be surrounded by the gate structure in the intermediate region. The gate structure and the dielectric region may physically separate epitaxial regions formed on the first fin group and the second fin group from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Balasubramanian Pranatharthiharan, Alexander Reznicek, Charan V. Surisetty
  • Patent number: 11658062
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices having air gap spacers that are formed as part of BEOL or MOL layers of the semiconductor devices are provided, as well as methods for fabricating such air gap spacers. For example, a method comprises forming a first metallic structure and a second metallic structure on a substrate, wherein the first and second metallic structures are disposed adjacent to each other with insulating material disposed between the first and second metallic structures. The insulating material is etched to form a space between the first and second metallic structures. A layer of dielectric material is deposited over the first and second metallic structures using a pinch-off deposition process to form an air gap in the space between the first and second metallic structures, wherein a portion of the air gap extends above an upper surface of at least one of the first metallic structure and the second metallic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: TESSERA LLC
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Thomas J. Haigh, Juntao Li, Eric G. Liniger, Sanjay C. Mehta, Son V. Nguyen, Chanro Park, Tenko Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11652161
    Abstract: A method and structures are used to fabricate a nanosheet semiconductor device. Nanosheet fins including nanosheet stacks including alternating silicon (Si) layers and silicon germanium (SiGe) layers are formed on a substrate and etched to define a first end and a second end along a first axis between which each nanosheet fin extends parallel to every other nanosheet fin. The SiGe layers are undercut in the nanosheet stacks at the first end and the second end to form divots, and a dielectric is deposited in the divots. The SiGe layers between the Si layers are removed before forming source and drain regions of the nanosheet semiconductor device such that there are gaps between the Si layers of each nanosheet stack, and the dielectric anchors the Si layers. The gaps are filled with an oxide that is removed after removing the dummy gate and prior to forming the replacement gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Tessera LLC
    Inventors: Marc A. Bergendahl, Kangguo Cheng, Fee Li Lie, Eric R. Miller, John R. Sporre, Sean Teehan
  • Patent number: 11615988
    Abstract: FinFET devices and processes to prevent fin or gate collapse (e.g., flopover) in finFET devices are provided. The method includes forming a first set of trenches in a semiconductor material and filling the first set of trenches with insulator material. The method further includes forming a second set of trenches in the semiconductor material, alternating with the first set of trenches that are filled. The second set of trenches form semiconductor structures which have a dimension of fin structures. The method further includes filling the second set of trenches with insulator material. The method further includes recessing the insulator material within the first set of trenches and the second set of trenches to form the fin structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Tessera, LLC
    Inventors: Veeraraghavan S. Basker, Kangguo Cheng, Theodorus E. Standaert, Junli Wang
  • Patent number: 11610780
    Abstract: A method for forming fins includes forming a three-color hardmask fin pattern on a fin base layer. The three-color hardmask fin pattern includes hardmask fins of three mutually selectively etchable compositions. Some of the fins of the first color are etched away with a selective etch that does not remove fins of a second color or a third color and that leaves at least one fin of the first color behind. The fins of the second color are etched away. Fins are etched into the fin base layer by anisotropically etching around remaining fins of the first color and fins of the third color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: TESSERA LLC
    Inventors: Sean D. Burns, Nelson M. Felix, Chi-Chun Liu, Yann A. M. Mignot, Stuart A. Sieg
  • Patent number: 11587830
    Abstract: An etch back air gap (EBAG) process is provided. The EBAG process includes forming an initial structure that includes a dielectric layer disposed on a substrate and a liner disposed to line a trench defined in the dielectric layer. The process further includes impregnating a metallic interconnect material with dopant materials, filling a remainder of the trench with the impregnated metallic interconnect materials to form an intermediate structure and drive-out annealing of the intermediate structure. The drive-out annealing of the intermediate structure serves to drive the dopant materials out of the impregnated metallic interconnect materials and thereby forms a chemical- and plasma-attack immune material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: TESSERA LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin D. Briggs, Elbert Huang, Takeshi Nogami, Christopher J. Penny
  • Patent number: RE49954
    Abstract: A method of forming two or more nano-sheet devices with varying electrical gate lengths, including, forming at least two cut-stacks including a plurality of sacrificial release layers and at least one alternating nano-sheet channel layer on a substrate, removing a portion of the plurality of sacrificial release layers to form indentations having an indentation depth in the plurality of sacrificial release layers, and removing a portion of the at least one alternating nano-sheet channel layer to form a recess having a recess depth in the at least one alternating nano-sheet channel layers, where the recess depth is greater than the indentation depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TESSERA LLC
    Inventors: Karthik Balakrishnan, Kangguo Cheng, Pouya Hashemi, Alexander Reznicek