Patents Examined by André C. Stevenson
  • Patent number: 11282743
    Abstract: The present application discloses a semiconductor device with the multi-layered connecting structure and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a single-layered connecting structure positioned above the substrate, and a multi-layered connecting structure positioned above the substrate and including a plurality of first conductive layers and a plurality of second conductive layers alternatively stacked. A top surface of the multi-layered connecting structure is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the single-layered connecting structure and a width of the multi-layered connecting structure is less than a width of the single-layered connecting structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Cheng-Hsiang Fan
  • Patent number: 11280558
    Abstract: A composite sheet, including: a buffer sheet; and a heat dissipation sheet on one surface of the buffer sheet. One surface of the heat dissipation sheet facing the one surface of the buffer sheet may have a smaller area than the one surface of the buffer sheet. A display device includes a display panel and a composite sheet on one surface of the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Won Il Lee, Min Seop Kim
  • Patent number: 11276609
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same, and a transistor are provided. In one form, a method includes: providing a base, where a dummy gate layer is formed on the base, a spacer is formed on a side wall of the dummy gate layer, an interlayer dielectric layer is formed on the base exposed from the dummy gate layer and the spacer, and the interlayer dielectric layer exposes a top of the dummy gate layer and a top of the spacer; removing a portion of a height of the dummy gate layer to form a remaining dummy gate layer, where the remaining dummy gate layer and the spacer enclose a trench; thinning a spacer exposed from the remaining dummy gate layer along a direction perpendicular to a side wall of the trench; after the thinning, removing the remaining dummy gate layer to form a gate opening within the interlayer dielectric layer; and forming a metal gate structure in the gate opening. Through the thinning, a gate opening whose side wall is provided with a remaining spacer is T-shaped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventor: Fei Zhou
  • Patent number: 11271011
    Abstract: Inventive concepts describe a method for high performance standard cell design techniques in FinFET based library using LLE. Inventive concepts describe a fabrication process using a standard FinFET cell layout having double diffusion breaks (DDBs) and single diffusion breaks (SDBs). According to one example embodiment, the method comprises of removing one or more fingers of a P-type FinFet (PFET) from a standard FinFET cell layout. After removing the one or more fingers, a Half-Double Diffusion Break (Half-DDB) is introduced on a N-type FinFET (NFET) side inside a cell boundary using a cut-poly layer. The cut-poly layer not only isolates the PFET and NFET gates and also becomes an integral part of hybrid structure. Further, the removed one or more fingers of PFET gates are converted to two floating PFET gates by shorting a drain terminal and a source terminal of the PFET gate to a common power net.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shyam Agarwal, Abhishek Ghosh, Parvinder Kumar Rana
  • Patent number: 11264270
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method of fabricating a semiconductor structure that includes forming a dummy gate structure over a substrate, forming a first spacer on a sidewall of the dummy gate structure and a second spacer on the first spacer, forming a source/drain structure on the substrate, removing the second spacer, forming a dielectric structure over the source/drain structure, replacing the dummy gate structure with a metal gate structure and a capping structure on the metal gate structure, and forming an opening in the dielectric structure. The opening exposes the source/drain structure. The method further includes forming a dummy spacer on a sidewall of the opening, forming a contact structure in the opening, and removing the dummy spacer to form an air gap between the contact structure and the metal gate structure. The contact structure is in contact with the source/drain structure in the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Meng-Yu Lin, Chun-Fu Cheng, Chung-Wei Wu, Zhiqiang Wu
  • Patent number: 11264236
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes: providing a substrate having a pattern formed on a surface layer thereof; setting a temperature of the substrate such that a change in the pattern becomes a predetermined change amount; forming a reaction layer having a thickness corresponding to the temperature set in the setting on the surface layer of the substrate; and applying energy to the substrate formed with the reaction layer thereby removing the reaction layer from the surface layer of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toru Hisamatsu, Takayuki Katsunuma, Shinya Ishikawa, Yoshihide Kihara, Masanobu Honda
  • Patent number: 11257926
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same are provided. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a gate structure sandwiched between and in contact with a first spacer feature and a second spacer feature, a top surface of the first spacer feature and a top surface of the second spacer feature extending above a top surface of the gate structure, a gate self-aligned contact (SAC) dielectric feature over the first spacer feature and the second spacer feature, a contact etch stop layer (CESL) over the gate SAC dielectric feature, a dielectric layer over the CESL, a gate contact feature extending through the dielectric layer, the CESL, the gate SAC dielectric feature, and between the first spacer feature and the second spacer feature to be in contact with the gate structure, and a liner disposed between the first spacer feature and the gate contact feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Li-Zhen Yu, Lin-Yu Huang, Chia-Hao Chang, Cheng-Chi Chuang, Yu-Ming Lin, Chih-Hao Wang
  • Patent number: 11257805
    Abstract: A chip includes a semiconductor substrate, integrated circuits with at least portions in the semiconductor substrate, and a surface dielectric layer over the integrated circuits. A plurality of metal pads is distributed substantially uniformly throughout substantially an entirety of a surface of the chip. The plurality of metal pads has top surfaces level with a top surface of the surface dielectric layer. The plurality of metal pads includes active metal pads and dummy metal pads. The active metal pads are electrically coupled to the integrated circuits. The dummy metal pads are electrically decoupled from the integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Dun-Nian Yaung, Szu-Ying Chen
  • Patent number: 11257711
    Abstract: A fabricating method of transistors includes providing a substrate with numerous transistors thereon. Each of the transistors includes a gate structure. A gap is disposed between gate structures adjacent to each other. Later, a protective layer and a first dielectric layer are formed in sequence to cover the substrate and the transistors and to fill in the gap. Next, numerous buffering particles are formed to contact the first dielectric layer. The buffering particles do not contact each other. Subsequently, a second dielectric layer is formed to cover the buffering particles. After that, a first planarization process is performed to remove part of the first dielectric layer, part of the second dielectric layer and buffering particles by taking the protective layer as a stop layer, wherein a removing rate of the second dielectric layer is greater than a removing rate of the buffering particles during the first planarization process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Fu-Shou Tsai, Yang-Ju Lu, Yong-Yi Lin, Yu-Lung Shih, Ching-Yang Chuang, Ji-Min Lin, Kun-Ju Li
  • Patent number: 11251279
    Abstract: A high voltage transistor structure includes a substrate. A metal gate is disposed on the substrate. At least one insulating material structure penetrates the metal gate. A metal compound layer is disposed between the metal gate and the substrate, between the insulating material structure and the substrate. The metal compound layer is a continuous structure. Agate dielectric layer is disposed under the metal compound layer and contacts the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Zhi-Cheng Lee, Kai-Lin Lee, Wei-Jen Chen
  • Patent number: 11251088
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active area having source and drain regions and a channel region between the source and drain regions, an isolation structure surrounding the active area, and a gate structure over the channel region of the active area and over the isolation structure, wherein the isolation structure has a first portion under the gate structure and a second portion free from coverage by the gate structure, and a top of the first portion of the isolation structure is lower than a top of the second portion of the isolation structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Long-Jie Hong, Chih-Lin Wang, Kang-Min Kuo
  • Patent number: 11245007
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body of a wide-bandgap semiconductor material. A plurality of first bond areas is connected to a first load terminal of the semiconductor device. First gate fingers are arranged between the first bond areas. The first gate fingers extend in a first lateral direction and branch off from at least one of a first gate line portion and a second gate line portion. Second gate fingers extend in the first lateral direction. A first length of any of the first gate fingers along the first lateral direction is greater than a second length of any of the second gate fingers along the first lateral direction. A sum of the first length and the second length is equal to or greater than a lateral distance between the first gate line portion and the second gate line portion along the first lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Dethard Peters
  • Patent number: 11244864
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a shared source/drain connection at a first planar level to connect a first source/drain contact structure disposed on a first source/drain region to a second source/drain contact structure disposed on a second source/drain region, and forming a shared gate connection to connect a first gate structure to a second gate structure. The shared gate connection is formed at a second planar level different from the first planar level to reduce parasitic capacitance between the shared source/drain connection and the shared gate connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Reinaldo Vega, Alexander Reznicek, Kangguo Cheng
  • Patent number: 11244868
    Abstract: A method for producing a component is provided, a base of which is formed by transistors on a substrate, including: forming a gate area, spacers, and a protective coating partly covering the spacers and a sidewall portion of a cavity without covering a top face of the gate area and a base portion of the cavity; forming a contact module, the gate located in beneath the module; and removing part of the coating with an isotropic light-ion implantation to form modified superficial parts in a thickness, respectively, of the contact module, of the coating, and of the base portion, and with an application of a plasma to: etch the modified superficial parts to only preserve, in the coating, a residual part of the coating, and to form a silicon oxide-based film on exposed surfaces, respectively, of the contact module, of the cavity, and of the coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventor: Nicolas Posseme
  • Patent number: 11233130
    Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of forming the same. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a plurality of semiconductor nanosheets, a bottom dielectric layer, and a gate stack. The substrate includes at least one fin. The plurality of semiconductor nanosheets are stacked on the at least one fin. The bottom dielectric layer is disposed between the at least one fin and the plurality of semiconductor nanosheets. The gate stack wraps the plurality of semiconductor nanosheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Bo-Feng Young, Sai-Hooi Yeong, Chi-On Chui
  • Patent number: 11217487
    Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor arrangement includes forming a first gate structure over a first active region. The first gate structure includes a first conductive layer. An etch process is performed using a process gas mixture to recess the first gate structure and define a recess. The etch process comprises a first phase to form a polymer layer over the first conductive layer and to modify a portion of the first conductive layer to form a modified portion of the first conductive layer and a second phase to remove the polymer layer and to remove the modified portion of the first conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Yi-Chen Lo, Li-Te Lin, Pinyen Lin
  • Patent number: 11211471
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a metal gate process. A sacrificial nitride layer is introduced during the fabrication of metal gates. The gate height can be well controlled by introducing the sacrificial nitride layer. Further, the particle fall-on problem can be effectively solved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Fu-Shou Tsai, Yong-Yi Lin, Yang-Ju Lu, Yu-Lung Shih, Ji-Min Lin, Ching-Yang Chuang, Kun-Ju Li
  • Patent number: 11211475
    Abstract: A method of forming a method of forming a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor structure, etching back each gate structure of a plurality of gate structures to form an opening, forming a barrier layer over the dielectric layer, forming a sacrificial layer over the barrier layer, planarizing the sacrificial layer till a surface of the sacrificial layer is substantially flat, and using a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) process to planarize the sacrificial layer and the barrier layer, and to remove the sacrificial layer and to provide a planarized barrier layer. The semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a fin, the plurality of gate structures, and a dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate between adjacent gate structures. A top of the dielectric layer is coplanar with a top of each of the plurality of gate structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventors: Haiyang Zhang, Jian Chen, Bo Su
  • Patent number: 11205609
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure with an air gap includes a dielectric stack having a first dielectric layer on a substrate, a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer, and a third dielectric layer on the second dielectric layer. A first conductive layer and a second conductive layer are disposed in the dielectric stack. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are coplanar. A cross-like-shaped air gap is disposed in the dielectric stack between the first and second conductive layers. An oxide layer is disposed on a sidewall of the second dielectric layer within the cross-like-shaped air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Ching-Pin Hsu, Chih-Jung Wang, Chu-Chun Chang, Kuo-Yuh Yang, Chia-Huei Lin, Purakh Raj Verma
  • Patent number: 11201169
    Abstract: A memory device includes: a first bit line located on a dielectric layer and a second bit line located over the dielectric layer; a first word line and a second word line located between the first bit line and the second bit line; a source line located between the first word line and the second word line; a channel pillar penetrating through the first word line and the source line and the second word line, and being connected to the first bit line, the source line and the second bit line; and a charge storage structure including an upper portion surrounding an upper sidewall of the channel pillar and located between the second word line and the channel pillar; and a lower portion surrounding a lower sidewall of the channel pillar and located between the first word line and the channel pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chih-Hsiung Lee, Shaw-Hung Ku