Patents Examined by Brad A Knudson
  • Patent number: 12217971
    Abstract: A method includes forming a dielectric layer over a substrate; forming a patterned amorphous silicon layer over a dielectric layer; depositing a first spacer layer over the patterned amorphous silicon layer; depositing a second spacer layer over the first spacer layer; forming a photoresist having an opening over the substrate; depositing a hard mask layer in the opening of the photoresist; after depositing the hard mask layer in the opening of the photoresist, removing the photoresist; and performing an etching process to etch the dielectric layer by using the patterned amorphous silicon layer, the first spacer layer, the second spacer layer, and the hard mask layer as an etch mask, in which the etching process etches the second spacer layer at a slower etch rate than etching the first spacer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ching-Yu Chang, Jei-Ming Chen, Tze-Liang Lee
  • Patent number: 12201039
    Abstract: A memory device and method of making the same is provided. The memory device includes a first electrode, an oxygen scavenging layer on the first electrode, a hard mask on the oxygen scavenging layer, and a second electrode on the hard mask. A switching layer is arranged on a portion of the oxygen scavenging layer, and the switching layer is conformal to a side surface of the hard mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Desmond Jia Jun Loy, Eng Huat Toh, Shyue Seng Tan
  • Patent number: 12198933
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a forming method of a semiconductor structure and a semiconductor structure. The forming method includes: providing a base, the base includes a central region and dummy regions, and the central region includes a molding region and cutting regions; forming multiple spaced core pillars on the base; forming an initial mask layer surrounding and covering a sidewall of each core pillar on the base; removing the initial mask layers located in each cutting region to form multiple spaced mask sidewall strips in the molding region, and retaining at least one of the initial mask layers in each dummy region as a ring-shaped sidewall; removing the core pillars located in the central region and the dummy regions; and etching the base to form multiple functional structures, and etching the base to form dummy functional structures on two sides of the multiple functional structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: ChihCheng Liu
  • Patent number: 12198932
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure and a semiconductor structure are disclosed. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes: providing a substrate, and forming a first sacrificial layer on the substrate, where the first sacrificial layer includes a first sacrificial dielectric layer and a second sacrificial dielectric layer; patterning the first sacrificial layer, and forming first intermediate pattern structures that are arranged at intervals, where a first gap is provided between two adjacent first intermediate pattern structures; forming a first spacer pad layer in the first gap, where the first spacer pad layer covers sidewalls of each of the two adjacent first intermediate pattern structures and a bottom of the first gap; removing the first spacer pad layer at the bottom of the first gap, and the second sacrificial dielectric layer; and removing the first sacrificial dielectric layer, to form first pattern structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jungsu Kang, Sen Li, Qiang Wan, Tao Liu
  • Patent number: 12191195
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an air gap includes receiving a first thickness information of an inter-metal dielectric layer formed on a substrate and receiving a second thickness information of an inter-layer dielectric layer formed on the substrate. Then, a first etching is performed, wherein the first etching includes etch the inter-metal dielectric layer based on a first etching control value corresponding to the first thickness information. After the first etching, a second etching is performed to etch the inter-layer dielectric layer based on a second etching control value corresponding to the second thickness information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Bo Tao, Runshun Wang, Li Wang, Ching-Yang Wen, Purakh Raj Verma, Dong Yin, Jian Xie
  • Patent number: 12183719
    Abstract: A display transferring structure includes a transfer substrate including a plurality of recesses, each of the plurality of recesses including a first trap having a space in which a predetermined object can be moved and a second trap connected to the first trap and having a shape and size in which the object can be seated; and a micro-semiconductor chip positioned in the second trap. The micro-semiconductor chip may be self-aligned in a correct position by the display transferring structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junsik Hwang, Seogwoo Hong, Kyungwook Hwang
  • Patent number: 12178040
    Abstract: A vertically alternating sequence of continuous insulating layers and continuous sacrificial material layers is formed over a substrate, and memory opening fill structures including vertical stacks of memory elements are formed through the vertically alternating sequence. Backside trenches are formed to divide the vertically alternating sequence into a plurality of alternating stacks of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers. A set of one or more bridge structures including a doped semiconductor material is formed within each of the backside trenches. The sacrificial material layers are replaced with electrically conductive layers while the sets of at least one bridge structure are present within the backside trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Ryousuke Itou, Akihisa Sai, Kenzo Iizuka
  • Patent number: 12170205
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to method of forming trench and via features using dielectric and metal mask layers. Particularly, embodiments of present disclosure provide a hard mask stack including a first dielectric mask layer, and second dielectric mask layer and a metal mask layer, wherein the first dielectric mask layer and second dielectric mask layer have a high etch selectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Yi-Nien Su
  • Patent number: 12167606
    Abstract: A memory cell includes a thin film transistor over a semiconductor substrate. The thin film transistor includes a memory film contacting a word line, an oxide semiconductor (OS) layer contacting a source line and a bit line, and a conductive feature interposed between the memory film and the OS layer. The memory film is disposed between the OS layer and the word line. A dielectric material covers sidewalls of the source line, the memory film, and the OS layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bo-Feng Young, Sai-Hooi Yeong, Yu-Ming Lin, Chi On Chui
  • Patent number: 12087799
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging element and an electronic device capable of increasing the capacitance of a charge holding unit. The solid-state imaging element includes a pixel including a photodiode, an FD that accumulates charges generated in the photodiode, and a charge holding unit that is connected in parallel with the FD. The charge holding unit includes a wiring capacitance formed by parallel running of a first wiring connected to a first potential and a second wiring connected to a second potential different from the first potential. The present disclosure can be applied to a solid-state imaging element that performs global shutter type imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Otake, Toshifumi Wakano, Takuro Murase
  • Patent number: 12087581
    Abstract: Disclosed are an active region, an active region array and a formation method thereof. The active region is formed in a substrate. The active region is provided with a wordline structure. The wordline structure penetrates the active region in a first direction and divides the active region into a source region and a drain region. The source region and the drain region are arranged in a second direction, and a size of the drain region in a third direction is greater than that of the source region in the third direction. An angle between the first direction and the second direction is an acute angle, and the third direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: ChihCheng Liu
  • Patent number: 12074062
    Abstract: Some examples of this disclosure relate to the field of the semiconductor technology, and disclose a method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure. The method for manufacturing of the semiconductor structure includes: providing a base, wherein the base includes a metal layer and an oxide located in the metal layer or on a surface of the metal layer; and performing heat treatment on the base, wherein a reducing gas is introduced during the heat treatment, and the metal layer is converted into a metal compound layer after the heat treatment. This disclosure can improve the performance of the semiconductor structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Taoyan Yan
  • Patent number: 12068255
    Abstract: A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers above a conductor tier. Strings of memory cells comprise channel-material strings that extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The channel-material strings directly electrically couple with conductor material of the conductor tier by conducting material that is in a lowest of the conductive tiers and that is directly against multiple of the channel-material strings. The channel-material strings in the laterally-spaced memory blocks comprise part of a memory plane. A wall in the lowest conductive tier is aside the conducting material. The wall is in a region that is edge-of-plane relative to the memory plane. The edge-of-plane region comprises a TAV region. The wall is horizontally-elongated relative to an edge of the TAV region that is in the edge-of-plane region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: M. Jared Barclay, John D. Hopkins, Richard J. Hill, Indra V. Chary, Kar Wui Thong
  • Patent number: 12020945
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and its manufacturing method are provided. The method includes sequentially forming an insulating layer and a patterned mask layer on a substrate. The patterned cover curtain layer has an opening, and the opening includes a main body portion and two extension portions located at both ends of the main body portion. The method includes sequentially forming a first sacrificial layer, a second sacrificial layer, and a third sacrificial layer on the insulating layer. The first sacrificial layer fills the extension portions and defines a recess in the main body portion. The second sacrificial layer is formed in the recess defined by the first sacrificial layer. The third sacrificial layer is formed on the first sacrificial layer located in the extension portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: WINBOND ELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Kai Jen, Hsiang-Po Liu
  • Patent number: 11875994
    Abstract: A method for preparing a semiconductor device structure includes forming a target layer over a semiconductor substrate, and forming a plurality of first energy-sensitive patterns over the target layer. The method also includes forming a lining layer conformally covering the first energy-sensitive patterns. A first opening is formed over the lining layer and between the first energy-sensitive patterns. The method further includes filling the first opening with a second energy-sensitive pattern, and performing an etching process to form a plurality of second openings and a third opening in the target layer, wherein the third opening is between the second openings, and the second openings and the third opening have different depths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chih-Tsung Wu