Patents Examined by Bac H. Au
  • Patent number: 11251080
    Abstract: Techniques herein include methods for fabricating three-dimensional (3D) logic or memory stack integrated with 3D metal routing. The methods can include stacking metal layers within existing 3D silicon stacks. A first portion can be masked while a second, uncovered portion is etched. Predetermined layers in a bottom portion (disposed closer to the substrate) of the multilayer stack can be replaced with a conductor. The second portion can be masked while the first portion is uncovered and processed. This can enable higher density 3D circuits by having multiple metal lines contained within a multilayer 3D nano-sheet. Advantageously, this facilitates easier connections for 3D logic and memory. Moreover, better speed performance can be achieved by having reduced distance for signals to travel to transistor connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Mark I. Gardner, H. Jim Fulford, Anton Devilliers
  • Patent number: 11251044
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a to-be-etched layer, including alternately arranged first regions and second regions along a first direction; forming a first mask layer on the to-be-etched layer; and forming a top mask layer on the first region and extending to the second region along the first direction. The projection pattern of the top mask layer divides the first mask layer formed on the first region into portions arranged in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The method further includes removing a portion of the first mask layer formed on the first region on both sides of the top mask layer to form a first trench. The first mask layer on the first region under the top mask layer forms a separation mask layer which divides the first trench into portions arranged in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventors: Wei Shi, Youcun Hu
  • Patent number: 11244873
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining wafer measurements of a characteristic of a semiconductor wafer at each of a plurality of process steps during a semiconductor wafer fabrication process, where each of the wafer measurements is associated with a spatial location on the semiconductor wafer from which the measurement is obtained. The method may further include creating a process step fingerprint from the obtained wafer measurements for each process step. The method may further include correlating the process step fingerprint of one of the plurality of process steps to the process step fingerprint of another one of the plurality of process steps to produce a transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Carlos A. Fonseca, Nathan Ip
  • Patent number: 11239348
    Abstract: Wafer bonded GaN monolithic integrated circuits and methods of manufacture of wafer bonded GaN monolithic integrated circuits and their related structures for electronic and photonic integrated circuits and for multi-functional integrated circuits, are described herein. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Inventor: Matthew H. Kim
  • Patent number: 11194990
    Abstract: A fingerprint sensor package and method are provided. Embodiments include a sensor and a sensor surface material encapsulated within the fingerprint sensor package. An array of electrodes of the sensor are electrically connected using through vias that are located either in the sensor, in connection blocks separated from the sensor, or through connection blocks, or else connected through other connections such as wire bonds. A high voltage die is attached in order to increase the sensitivity of the fingerprint sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Chih Huang, Chih-Hua Chen, Yu-Jen Cheng, Chih-Wei Lin, Yu-Feng Chen, Hao-Yi Tsai, Chung-Shi Liu, Chen-Hua Yu
  • Patent number: 11183535
    Abstract: A display device includes a substrate including a first recess portion, a semiconductor layer that overlaps the first recess portion, the semiconductor layer including protrusions and depressions conforming to a shape of the first recess portion, and a gate electrode that overlaps the first recess portion and the semiconductor layer, the gate electrode including protrusions and depressions conforming to the shape of the first recess portion. A thickness of the substrate in the first recess portion is less than a thickness of the substrate in a non-recess portion, excluding the first recess portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tae Hyeok Choi
  • Patent number: 11177382
    Abstract: A method and structure for mitigating strain loss (e.g., in a FinFET channel) includes providing a semiconductor device having a substrate having a substrate fin portion, an active fin region formed over a first part of the substrate fin portion, a pickup region formed over a second part of the substrate fin portion, and an anchor formed over a third part of the substrate fin portion. In some embodiments, the substrate fin portion includes a first material, and the active fin region includes a second material different than the first material. In various examples, the anchor is disposed between and adjacent to each of the active fin region and the pickup region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sheng-Hsiung Wang, Yung Feng Chang, Tung-Heng Hsieh
  • Patent number: 11177160
    Abstract: A method includes forming a dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first mandrel layer and a second mandrel layer on the dielectric layer and patterning the first mandrel layer and the second mandrel layer to form respective first and second patterns in the first and second mandrel layers. The first pattern includes a first line segment and a first wing segment. The first wing segment is filled with a first spacer material to form a first spacer. The method further includes removing exposed portions of the first and second mandrel layers, transferring an image of the first and second patterns, patterning the dielectric layer and depositing a metal into the patterned dielectric layer to form a metallic interconnect structure. The metallic interconnect structure includes first and second metallic lines with the second metallic line having a line break corresponding to the first spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Mathew Philip, Somnath Ghosh, Robert Robison
  • Patent number: 11177181
    Abstract: Scalable device designs for FINFET technology are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming a FINFET device includes: patterning fins in a substrate which include a first fin(s) corresponding to a first FINFET device and a second fin(s) corresponding to a second FINFET device; depositing a conformal gate dielectric over the fins; depositing a conformal sacrificial layer over the gate dielectric; depositing a sacrificial gate material over the sacrificial layer; replacing the sacrificial layer with a first workfunction-setting metal(s) over the first fin(s) and a second workfunction-setting metal(s) over the second fin(s); removing the sacrificial gate material; forming dielectric gates over the first workfunction-setting metal(s), the second workfunction-setting metal(s) and the gate dielectric forming gate stacks; and forming source and drains in the fins between the gate stacks, wherein the source and drains are separated from the gate stacks by inner spacers. A FINFET device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Kangguo Cheng, Juntao Li, Chanro Park
  • Patent number: 11177282
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices are provided. A semiconductor device includes a substrate. The semiconductor device includes a stack structure including conductive layers stacked on the substrate. Moreover, the semiconductor device includes a dummy structure penetrating a stepped region of the stack structure. A portion of the dummy structure includes a first segment and a second segment. The first segment extends in a first direction in a plane parallel to an upper surface of the substrate. The second segment protrudes from the first segment in a second direction, in the plane, that intersects the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Inventors: Kwangyoung Jung, Jongwon Kim, Dongseog Eun, Joonhee Lee
  • Patent number: 11171300
    Abstract: A quantum dot light emitting diode includes: a light emitting layer, the light emitting layer including a first quantum dot layer and a second quantum dot layer which are stacked; the first quantum dot layer including a first quantum dot having a hole transporting property; and the second quantum dot layer including a second quantum dot having an electron transporting property. The first quantum dot layer having hole transporting property and the second quantum dot layer having electron transporting property are stacked. The first quantum dot layer and the second quantum dot layer not only form a quantum dot light emitting layer, but also transport holes and electrons respectively, thereby causing excitons to be recombined in the first quantum dot layer and/or the second quantum dot layer, or near the interface of the first quantum dot layer and the second quantum dot layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Gang Yu
  • Patent number: 11158654
    Abstract: An object is to reduce a capacitance value of parasitic capacitance without decreasing driving capability of a transistor in a semiconductor device such as an active matrix display device. Further, another object is to provide a semiconductor device in which the capacitance value of the parasitic capacitance was reduced, at low cost. An insulating layer other than a gate insulating layer is provided between a wiring which is formed of the same material layer as a gate electrode of the transistor and a wiring which is formed of the same material layer as a source electrode or a drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11152259
    Abstract: An interconnection element of an interconnection structure of an integrated circuit is manufactures by a method where a cavity is etched in an insulating layer. A silicon nitride layer is then deposited on walls and a bottom of the cavity. The nitrogen atom concentration in the silicon nitride layer increasing as a distance from an exposed surface of the silicon nitride layer increases. A copper layer is deposited on the silicon nitride layer. The cavity is further filled with copper. A heating process is performed after the deposition of the copper layer, to convert the copper layer and the silicon nitride layer to form a copper silicide layer which has a nitrogen atom concentration gradient corresponding to the gradient of the silicon nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventor: Magali Gregoire
  • Patent number: 11145661
    Abstract: Static random access memory (SRAM) and its forming method are provided. The forming method includes: providing a semiconductor substrate including memory cell regions, each memory cell region including a transmission region, a pull-down region and a pull-up region including a pull-up fin cutting region; forming first fins on the transmission region and the pull-down region; forming second initial fins on the pull-up region; forming initial gate structures across the first fins and the second initial fins; forming a dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate, the first fins and the second initial fins; forming a mask layer on the dielectric layer and the initial gate structures; forming a first cutting layer in the initial gate structures at a bottom of the mask opening; and forming a second cutting layer on the pull-up fin cutting region in the dielectric layer at the bottom of the mask opening and in the second initial fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventor: Jisong Jin
  • Patent number: 11139302
    Abstract: Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having bitlines spaced from one another by intervening voids. Insulative supports are over the bitlines. A conductive plate is supported by the insulative supports and is proximate the bitlines to drain excess charge from the bitlines. Some embodiments include a method of forming an integrated assembly. A stack is formed to have insulative material over bitline material. The stack is patterned into rails that extend along a first direction. The rails include the patterned bitline material as bitlines, and include the patterned insulative material as insulative supports over the bitlines. The rails are spaced from one another along a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction, by voids. Sacrificial material is formed within the voids. A conductive plate is formed over the insulative supports and the sacrificial material. The sacrificial material is removed from under the conductive plate to re-form the voids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsunari Sukekawa, Hiroaki Taketani
  • Patent number: 11107884
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to sealed cavity structures having a planar surface and methods of manufacture. The structure includes a cavity formed in a substrate material and which has a curvature at its upper end. The cavity is covered with epitaxial material that has an upper planar surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. INC.
    Inventors: Siva P. Adusumilli, Anthony K. Stamper, Laura J. Silverstein, Cameron E. Luce
  • Patent number: 11088323
    Abstract: A method for forming a memory device is provided. The method including forming a memory cell stack over a lower interconnect layer over a substrate, the memory cell stack includes a data storage layer over a bottom metal. A first dielectric layer is formed over the memory cell stack. A first masking layer is formed over the first dielectric layer. The first masking layer overlies a center portion of the first dielectric layer and leaves a sacrificial portion of the first dielectric layer uncovered. A first etch of the first dielectric layer is formed according to the first masking layer. An inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer is formed over the memory cell stack. A top electrode is formed within the IMD layer over the memory cell stack. An upper interconnect layer is formed over the top electrode. The upper and lower interconnect layers comprise a different material than the top electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Chung-Yen Chou
  • Patent number: 11078074
    Abstract: Processes for integrating complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices are provided. In some embodiments, the MEMS devices are formed on a sacrificial substrate or wafer, the sacrificial substrate or wafer is bonded to a CMOS die or wafer, and the sacrificial substrate or wafer is removed. In other embodiments, the MEMS devices are formed over a sacrificial region of a CMOS die or wafer and the sacrificial region is subsequently removed. Integrated circuit (ICs) resulting from the processes are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Wen Cheng, Chia-Hua Chu
  • Patent number: 11075347
    Abstract: This present disclosure discloses a display device. The display device may include a bending area and a non-bending area. A structure for improving durability may be included in the bending area. The display device may include a base layer having one or more first regions that can be folded along a predetermined axis, and a second region adjacent to the first regions; and thin-film transistors, organic light-emitting elements and functional layers stacked in the second region of the base layer. The thin-film transistors, the organic light-emitting elements and the functional layers stacked in the second regions are not disposed in the first regions. Instead, the space otherwise occupied by the elements is filled with the filling layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: YeonGyeong Bae, Sejong Yoo
  • Patent number: 11056597
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion element formed of a polar material and including no p-n junction, and first and second electrodes provided on the photoelectric conversion element and arranged at an interval. Space-inversion symmetry of a structure of the photoelectric conversion element is broken. The first and second electrodes are each formed of a metal material that generates no substantial potential barrier preventing majority carriers for the photoelectric conversion element from moving from the electrode to the photoelectric conversion element. Light incidence on the photoelectric conversion element without voltage application between the first and second electrodes causes electromotive force to be generated between first and second electrodes, and enables electric current to be continuously taken out from the first and second electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: RIKEN
    Inventors: Masao Nakamura, Masashi Kawasaki, Yoshinori Tokura, Naoto Nagaosa, Takahiro Morimoto, Yoshio Kaneko