Patents Examined by Caleen O. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 11287741
    Abstract: A composition for forming a resist underlayer film that functions as an anti-reflective coating during exposure and can be embedded in a recess having a narrow space and a high aspect ratio, and has excellent resistance to an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution. A resist underlayer film-forming composition containing a resin, a compound of the following Formula (1a) or (1b): wherein X is carbonyl group or methylene group, 1 and m are each independently an integer of 0 to 5 and satisfy a relational expression of 3?1+m 10, and n is an integer of 2 to 5, and a solvent, wherein the compound of Formula (1a) or (1b) is contained in an amount of 0.01% by mass to 60% by mass relative to the amount of the resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN CHEMICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroto Ogata, Yuto Hashimoto, Mamoru Tamura, Takahiro Kishioka
  • Patent number: 11281089
    Abstract: A light shielding film made up of a material containing one or more elements selected from silicon and tantalum and a hard mask film made up of a material containing chromium, oxygen, and carbon are laminated on a transparent substrate. The hard mask film is a single layer film having a composition gradient portion with increased oxygen content on the surface and on the neighboring region. The maximum peak for N1s in a narrow spectrum obtained via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis is the lower limit of detection or less. The portions excluding the composition gradient portion of the hard mask film have a 50 atom % or more chromium content, and the maximum peak for Cr2p in a narrow spectrum obtained via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis has a binding energy of 574 eV or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Nozawa, Ryo Ohkubo, Hiroaki Shishido
  • Patent number: 11279802
    Abstract: The present invention provides an alkali-soluble resin with which a cured film having high extensibility, reduced stress, high adhesion to a metal, and high heat resistance can be obtained, and a photosensitive resin composition containing the alkali-soluble resin, and the present invention is an alkali-soluble resin (A) including a structure represented by a general formula (1) wherein X1 represents a divalent organic group having 2 to 100 carbon atoms, Y1 and Y2 each represent a divalent to hexavalent organic group having 2 to 100 carbon atoms, X2 represents a tetravalent organic group having 2 to 100 carbon atoms, p and q each represent an integer in a range of 0 to 4, and n1 and n2 each represent an integer in a range of 5 to 100,000, wherein (I) and (II) described below are satisfied: (I) an organic group having an aliphatic chain having 8 to 30 carbon atoms is contained as X1 of the general formula (1) at a content of 30 to 70 mol % based on 100 mol % of a total of X1 and X2, and (II) an organic group h
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yutaro Koyama, Yuki Masuda, Masao Tomikawa
  • Patent number: 11276639
    Abstract: Integrated chips and methods of forming lines in the same include forming a line layer on a substrate. An opening is etched into the line layer that exposes the substrate. A plug is formed in the opening. The line layer is patterned to form a line that terminates at the plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brent Anderson, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Kisik Choi, Nicholas Anthony Lanzillo, Christopher J. Penny, Robert Robison
  • Patent number: 11269252
    Abstract: An antireflective coating composition, including a polymer, a photoacid generator having a crosslinkable group, a compound capable of crosslinking the polymer and the photoacid generator, a thermal acid generator, and an organic solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: ROHM AND HAAS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LLC, ROHM AND HAAS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS KOREA LTD.
    Inventors: Jung-June Lee, Jae-Yun Ahn, Jae-Hwan Sim, Jae-Bong Lim, Emad Aqad, Myung-Yeol Kim
  • Patent number: 11257911
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a source/drain region and a gate electrode adjacent the source/drain region, forming a hard mask over the gate electrode, forming a bottom mask over the source/drain region, wherein the gate electrode is exposed, and performing a nitridation process on the hard mask over the gate electrode. The bottom mask remains over the source/drain region during the nitridation process and is removed after the nitridation. The method further includes forming a silicide over the source/drain region after removing the bottom mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsan-Chun Wang, Su-Hao Liu, Liang-Yin Chen, Huicheng Chang, Yee-Chia Yeo
  • Patent number: 11256171
    Abstract: A film resist is a member for being bonded to a main surface of a substrate, which main surface is provided with a mark. The film resist includes a cutout for the mark to be checked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nakamura, Shinya Soneda, Shoichi Kuga
  • Patent number: 11243465
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods for patterning using enhancement of surface adhesion are presented. In an embodiment, a method for patterning using enhancement of surface adhesion may include providing an input substrate with an anti-reflective coating layer and an underlying layer. Such a method may also include performing a surface adhesion modification process on the substrate, the surface adhesion modification process utilizing a plasma treatment configured to increase an adhesion property of an anti-reflective coating layer without affecting downstream processes. In an embodiment, the method may also include performing a photoresist coating process, a mask exposure process, and a developing process to generate a target patterned structure in a photoresist layer on the substrate. In such embodiments, the method may include controlling operating parameters of the surface adhesion modification process to achieve target profiles of the patterned structure and substrate throughput objectives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Wanjae Park, Lior Huli, Soo Doo Chae
  • Patent number: 11244827
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure. The method includes forming a photo-sensitive layer on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate. The photo-sensitive layer has a top surface. The method also includes obtaining a first profile of the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and obtaining a second profile of the top surface of the photo-sensitive layer. The method also includes calculating a vertical displacement profile of the semiconductor substrate according to the first profile and the second profile. An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor structure is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Yung-Yao Lee, Wen-Chih Wang
  • Patent number: 11221555
    Abstract: A mask plate, a method for manufacturing a patterned film layer and a manufacturing method of a thin film transistor are provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. The mask plate includes: a first pattern and a second pattern; the first pattern includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a connecting portion connecting the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and an extension portion on a side of the connecting portion away from the first sidewall; the second pattern is between the first sidewall and the second sidewall; a slit is between the first pattern and the second pattern, and the slit is configured for diffraction. The positive photoresist is used, the extension portion of the mask plate makes that the pattern of the photoresist formed by the mask plate with the extension portion has a region corresponding to the extension portion and the “bolt effect” is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignees: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tao Jiang, Botao Song, Ling Han, Xinyang Tang
  • Patent number: 11214678
    Abstract: A hardmask composition, a hardmask layer, and a method of forming patterns, the composition including a solvent; and a polymer that includes a substituted biphenylene structural unit, wherein one phenylene of the biphenylene of the substituted biphenylene structural unit is substituted with at least one of a hydroxy-substituted C6 to C30 aryl group, and a hydroxy-substituted C3 to C30 heteroaryl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jaebum Lim, Sunyoung Yang, Sunghwan Kim, Seunghyun Kim, Yushin Park
  • Patent number: 11215924
    Abstract: A photoresist composition comprises a polymer resin, a photoactive compound, an organometallic compound, an enhancement additive, and a first solvent. The enhancement additive is an ionic surfactant, a non-ionic surfactant, or a second solvent having a boiling point of greater than 150° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Ching-Yu Chang, Chin-Hsiang Lin
  • Patent number: 11211394
    Abstract: Embodiments of structure and methods for forming a three-dimensional (3D) memory device are provided. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a memory stack, a plurality of channel structures, and a source structure. The memory stack is over a substrate and includes interleaved a plurality of conductor layers and a plurality of insulating layers. The source structure includes a plurality of source contacts, and two adjacent ones of the plurality of source contacts are conductively connected to one another by a connection layer. A pair of first portions of the connection layer are over the two adjacent ones of the plurality of source contacts and a second portion of the connection layer being between the two adjacent ones of the plurality of source contacts. Top surfaces of the pair of first portions of the connection are coplanar with a top surface of the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: YANGTZE MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenxiang Xu, Wei Xu, Pan Huang, Ping Yan, Zongliang Huo, Wenbin Zhou, Ji Xia
  • Patent number: 11204553
    Abstract: A chemically amplified resist composition comprising a quencher containing an ammonium salt of an iodized or brominated aromatic ring-bearing carboxylic acid, and an acid generator exhibits a sensitizing effect and an acid diffusion suppressing effect and forms a pattern having improved resolution, LWR and CDU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Hatakeyama, Masaki Ohashi
  • Patent number: 11203662
    Abstract: Disclosed are a polymer including a structural unit represented by Chemical Formula 1 and a structural unit represented by Chemical Formula 2, an organic layer composition including the polymer, and a method of forming patterns using the organic layer composition. The Chemical Formulae 1 and 2 are the same as defined in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyeonil Jung, Sunghwan Kim, Seunghyun Kim, Yushin Park, Jaebum Lim
  • Patent number: 11201051
    Abstract: Techniques herein include methods of forming conformal films on substrates including semiconductor wafers. Conventional film forming techniques can be slow and expensive. Methods herein include depositing a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) film over the substrate. The SAM film can include an acid generator configured to generate acid in response to a predetermined stimulus. A polymer film is deposited over the SAM film. The polymer film is soluble to a predetermined developer and configured to change solubility in response to exposure to the acid. The acid generator is stimulated and generates acid. The acid is diffused into the polymer film. The polymer film is developed with the predetermined developer to remove portions of the polymer film that are not protected from the predetermined developer. These process steps can be repeated a desired number of times to grow an aggregate film layer by layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Jodi Grzeskowiak, Anton J. Devilliers, Daniel Fulford
  • Patent number: 11201112
    Abstract: An interconnect structure includes a first electrically conductive via portion on an upper surface of a substrate, the first electrically conductive via elongated along a first direction, and a first ILD material on the substrate and covering the first electrically conductive via portion. The first ILD material includes an ILD upper surface exposing a via surface of the first electrically conductive via portion. A second electrically conductive via portion is on the ILD upper surface and the via upper surface thereby defining a contact area between the first electrically conductive via portion and the second electrically conductive via portion. The second electrically conductive via portion elongated along a second direction orthogonal with respect to the first direction. A second ILD material is on the ILD upper surface to cover the second electrically conductive via portion. The first and second electrically conductive via portions are fully aligned at the contact area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenneth Chun Kuen Cheng, Chanro Park, Koichi Motoyama, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Patent number: 11195751
    Abstract: An interconnect or memory structure is provided that includes a first electrically conductive structure having a concave upper surface embedded in a first interconnect dielectric material layer. A first metal-containing cap contacts the concave upper surface of the first electrically conductive structure. The first metal-containing cap has a topmost surface that is coplanar with a topmost surface of the first interconnect dielectric material layer. A second metal-containing cap having a planar bottommost surface contacts the topmost surface of the first metal-containing cap. A metal-containing structure having a planar bottommost surface contacts a planar topmost surface of the second metal-containing cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chih-Chao Yang, Baozhen Li
  • Patent number: 11192971
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a pattern forming material is disclosed. The pattern forming material contains a polymer. The polymer includes a specific first monomer unit. The monomer unit has a structure having ester of a carboxyl group at a terminal of a side chain. In the ester, a carbon atom bonded to an oxygen atom next to a carbonyl group is a primary carbon, a secondary carbon or a tertiary carbon. The pattern forming material is used for manufacturing a composite film as a mask pattern for processing a target film on a substrate. The composite film is formed by a process including, forming an organic film on the target film with the pattern forming material, patterning the organic film, and forming the composite film by infiltering a metal compound into the patterned organic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norikatsu Sasao, Koji Asakawa, Shinobu Sugimura
  • Patent number: 11189593
    Abstract: A package is disclosed. The package can include a package substrate that has an opening, such as a through hole, extending from a top side to a bottom side opposite the top side of the package substrate. The package can also include a component at least partially disposed in the through hole. The component can be an electrical component. The component can be exposed at a bottom surface of the package. The package can include a bonding material that mechanically couples the component and the package substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Teik Tiong Toong, Mike J. Anderson