Patents Examined by Andre? Stevenson
  • Patent number: 7348192
    Abstract: A method monitors a thickness of a subject film deposited on an underlying structure, the underlying structure contains at least one thin film formed on a substrate. The method includes determining thickness data of the underlying structure and storing the thickness data of the underlying structure in a thickness memory; measuring profile of optical spectrum of the subject film on the underlying structure; reading the thickness data of the underlying from the thickness memory; calculating theoretical profiles of the optimal spectrum of the subject film based upon corresponding candidate film thicknesses of the subject film and the thickness data of the underlying structure; and searching a theoretical profile of the subject film, which is closest to the measured profile of optical spectrum of the subject film so as to determine a thickness of the subject film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Toru Mikami
  • Patent number: 7347228
    Abstract: A method for fabricating semiconductor device is provided. A high stress layer formed on, under or on both sides of the transistors of the semiconductor device is employed as a cap layer. A specific region is then defined through photo resistor mask, and the stress of the region is changed by ion implanting. Therefore, compressive stress and tensile stress occur on the high stress layer. According the disclosed method, the high stress layer may simultaneously improve the characteristics of the transistors formed on the same wafer. Further, the mobility of the carriers of the device is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Cha-Hsin Lin, Zing-Way Pei, Shing-Chii Lu, Wen-Yi Hsieh
  • Patent number: 7344972
    Abstract: The invention provides a layer of photosensitive material that may be directly patterned. The photosensitive material may then be decomposed to leave voids or air gaps in the layer. This may provide a low dielectric constant layer with reduced resistance capacitance delay characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Goodner, Kevin P. O'Brien, Grant M. Kloster, Robert P. Meagley
  • Patent number: 7341877
    Abstract: A method of accurately calibrating a movement control system of mark recognition means in a chip mounting device, comprising the steps of: recognizing a first recognition mark put on a head (2) and a second recognition mark (13) put on a stage (26) with two-field recognition means (7) so as to calibrate and update the preceding control parameters inputted into the movement control system of the two-field recognition means (7); and, with the head (2) lowered to position the first recognition mark closely to the second recognition mark (13), recognizing both marks with third recognition means (20) when the two-field recognition means (7) is moved back so as to calibrate and update the preceding control parameters inputted into the movement control system of the two-field recognition means (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Toray Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Yamauchi, Yoshiyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 7332374
    Abstract: A method is provided for manufacturing electronic module assemblies comprising a plurality of substrates and a housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Maher, Robert Churchill
  • Patent number: 7323364
    Abstract: A combination composed from a form standard and a CSP is attached to flex circuitry. Solder paste is applied to first selected locations on the flex circuitry and adhesive is applied to second selected locations on the flex circuitry. The flex circuitry and the combination of the form standard and CSP are brought into proximity with each other. During solder reflow operation, a force is applied that tends to bring the combination and flex circuitry closer together. As the heat of solder reflow melts the contacts of the CSP, the combination collapses toward the flex circuitry displacing the adhesive as the solder paste and contacts merge into solder joints. In a preferred embodiment, the form standard will be devised of heat transference material, a metal, for example, such as copper would be preferred, to improve thermal performance. In other embodiments, the methods of the invention may be used to attach a CSP without a form standard to flex circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Staktek Group L.P.
    Inventors: Julian Partridge, James Douglas Wehrly, Jr., David Roper
  • Patent number: 7323406
    Abstract: A method for making novel elevated bond-pad structures with sidewall spacers is achieved. The elevated bond-pad structures increase the space between the chip and a substrate during flip-chip bonding. The increased spacing results in better under-filling and reduces alpha particle soft errors in the chip. The sidewall spacers restrict the wetting surface for the PbSn solder bumps to the top surface of the bond pads. This results in smaller solder bumps and allows for closer spacings of the array of bonding pads for higher density integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.
    Inventors: Victor Seng-Keong Lim, Fan Zhang, Jeffrey Lam
  • Patent number: 7320916
    Abstract: When Ti as a barrier metal layer is brought into contact with a diffusion region of boron provided on a surface of a silicon substrate, there is a problem that boron is absorbed by titanium silicide, and contact resistance is increased. Although there is a method of additionally implanting boron whose amount is equal to the amount of boron absorbed by titanium silicide, there has been a problem that when boron is additionally implanted into, for example, a source region in a p-channel type, the additionally added boron is diffused deeply at the diffusion step, and characteristics are deteriorated. According to the invention, after formation of an element region, boron is additionally implanted into the whole surface at a dosage of about 10% of an element region, and is activated in the vicinity of a surface of a silicon substrate by an alloying process of a barrier metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Gifu Sanyo Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Kubo, Yasuhiro Igarashi, Masahiro Shibuya
  • Patent number: 7320935
    Abstract: The present invention includes an embodiment that relates to method of forming an interconnect. The method includes the effect of reducing electromigration in a metallization. An article achieved by the inventive method includes a first interconnect disposed above a substrate; a first conductive diffusion barrier layer disposed above and on the first interconnect; an upper interconnect, that is either landed or unlanded and that is disposed above the first interconnect; and an upper conductive diffusion barrier layer disposed above and on the upper interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Jihperng Leu, Christopher D. Thomas
  • Patent number: 7319051
    Abstract: A thermally enhanced wirebond BGA package having a laminate substrate, an IC device mounted on the substrate, and a metal cap defining a cavity inside the package between the IC device and the metal cap. A substantial portion of the cavity is filled with a thermally enhanced epoxy encapsulant establishing a thermal conduction path between the IC device and the metal cap. The BGA package may be further enhanced by bonding a metal heat slug on the laminate substrate and mounting the IC device on the slug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Eng C. Cheah, Donald S. Fritz
  • Patent number: 7316972
    Abstract: A contact hole formation method includes a process of depositing a BPSG film 4 on a semiconductor substrate 1 on which transistors are formed, a process of planarizing the BPSG film 4, a process of depositing a dielectric film 5 on the BPSG film 4, and a process of forming contact holes 8 through the BPSG film 4 and the dielectric film 5 so as to reach the semiconductor substrate 1, in a case in which gate electrodes are densely formed in some areas and sparsely formed in other areas. The above-described contact hole formation method allows a thickness of the BPSG film 4 to be uniform irrespective of the density of the gate electrodes, whereby an etching rate becomes uniform over the entire area of the semiconductor device. Thus, it is possible to form contact holes having minimized variations in a contact resistance and a value of leakage current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Matsutani
  • Patent number: 7314808
    Abstract: Methods for transferring substrates in a system with a factory interface robot between at least one FOUP, a buffer coupled to a parasitic device and an inbound and outbound transfer station coupled to a processing tool are provided. In one embodiment, a method for transferring substrates includes transferring a first substrate on an end effector of a robot from a FOUP to a buffer station serving a parasitic device, moving the substrate from the buffer station into the parasitic device, picking up a second substrate on the end effector, compensating for a residence time of the first substrate in the parasitic device, transferring the second substrate to parasitic device from the end effector to the buffer station serving the parasitic device, and picking up the first substrate from the buffer station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alpay Yilmaz, Gerald Alonzo
  • Patent number: 7315078
    Abstract: A chip-stacked semiconductor package and a method for fabricating the same are proposed. A chip carrier module plate including a plurality of chip carriers, and a heat sink module plate including a plurality of heat sinks are provided, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed around each of the heat sinks. First chips, the heat sink module plate, and second chips are successively stacked on the chip carrier module plate, wherein the second chips are electrically connected to the chip carrier module plate by conductive wires penetrating the through holes of the heat sink module plate. After a molding process is completed, a singulation process can be performed to separate the chip carriers and the heat sinks, and thus individual semiconductor packages for integrating the heat sinks with the stacked chips are fabricated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chien-Ping Huang
  • Patent number: 7306974
    Abstract: Packaged microelectronic devices, methods for packaging microelectronic devices, and methods of operating microelectronic devices. In one embodiment, a packaged microelectronic device comprises a die including integrated circuitry, a first casing coating at least a portion of the die, a heat sink proximate to the die, and a second casing on at least a portion of the heat sink and coating at least a portion of the first casing. The first casing has a plurality of first interconnect elements, and the second casing engages the first interconnect elements to the first casing. The interconnect elements can be surface striations or other features that project into or away from the first casing. For example, the interconnect elements can be ridges extending across a surface of the first casing. In other embodiments, the first interconnect elements can be bumps and/or dimples across the surface of the first casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph M. Brand
  • Patent number: 7307001
    Abstract: A method of wafer repairing comprises identifying locations and patterns of defective regions in a semiconductor wafer; communicating the locations and patterns of defective regions to a direct-writing tool; forming a photoresist layer on the semiconductor wafer; locally exposing the photoresist layer within the defective regions using an energy beam; developing the photoresist layer on the semiconductor wafer; and wafer-processing the semiconductor wafer under the photoresist layer after exposing and developing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chin-Hsiang Lin, Burn Jeng Lin, Tsai-Sheng Gau
  • Patent number: 7303984
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate structure includes a substrate having a trench formed thereon, a polymer composite material supplied into the trench and an electroplate conductive layer formed on the substrate. Further, a semiconductor substrate processing method includes the steps of: providing a substrate forming a trench thereon, supplying a polymer composite material into the trench, polishing a surface of the substrate and forming a covering material on the surface of the substrate. Therefore, the method is provided for combining the polymer composite material into the substrate, thereby to raise cutting precision and strength of the semiconductor substrate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Harvatek Corporation
    Inventors: Bily Wang, Jonnie Chuang, Hui-Yen Huang
  • Patent number: 7300875
    Abstract: Metal residue on a semiconductor surface resulting from metal chemical mechanical polishing (“CMP”) process are eradicated using a dry clean process. The dry cleaning uniformly removes or substantially eliminates metal residue from the surface of the semiconductor. An unintended metal short that may be present due to the residue may thereby be eliminated by adjusting the dry cleaning process based on a type of dry cleaning material, and type and a thickness of the residue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Richmond, LP
    Inventors: Heinrich Ollendorf, Stacey Cabral, Robert Fuller
  • Patent number: 7297561
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is disclosed that enhances quality control inspection of device. The structure includes a substrate having at least one planar face, a first metal layer on the planar face, and covering some, but not all of the planar face in a first predetermined geometric pattern, and a second metal layer on the planar face, and covering some, but not all of the planar face in a second geometric pattern that is different from the first geometric pattern. A quality control method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is also disclosed. The method includes the steps of placing a first metal layer on a semiconductor face of a device in a first predetermined geometric pattern, placing a second metal layer on the same face of the device as the first layer and in a second predetermined geometric pattern that is different from the first geometric pattern, and then inspecting the device to identify the presence or absence of one or both of the patterns on the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph C. Tuttle, Christopher Sean Plunket, David B. Slater, Jr., Gerald H. Negley, Thomas P. Schneider
  • Patent number: 7297607
    Abstract: A method of performing a seasoning process for a semiconductor device processing apparatus is provided by the present invention. The method includes: forming a material layer on a test wafer; coating a photoresist on the material layer; patterning the photoresist so as to expose a central region of the wafer and cover an edge region thereof; and etching the material layer exposed by the photoresist pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Dongbu Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Bo-Yeoun Jo
  • Patent number: 7288433
    Abstract: A stacked microelectronic assembly comprises a flexible sheet having an obverse surface and a reverse surface and including at least a first panel and a second panel. The second panel and the first panel are adjacent to each other, the second panel including terminals on the reverse surface for mounting to an external circuit. The first panel includes a non-overmolded microelectronic element mounted thereon. The microelectronic element having a rear face and a front face surface, wherein the front face surface confronts the obverse surface of the first panel. During manufacture the flexible sheet is folded to create a stacked microelectronic assembly such that the rear face of the first microelectronic assembly confronts and substantially contacts the obverse surface of the second panel. This results in the second panel being kept substantially flat during subsequent mounting to the external circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Belgacem Haba, Masud Beroz