Patents Examined by Chandra Chaudhari
  • Patent number: 9324863
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source/drain feature in a substrate. The source/drain feature has an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a lower concentration of Ge than the lower portion. A Si-containing layer over the source/drain feature includes a metal silicide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Wen Chu Hsiao, Lai Wan Chong, Chun-Chieh Wang, Ying Min Chou, Hsiang Hsiang Ko, Ying-Lang Wang
  • Patent number: 9318614
    Abstract: A method of fabricating MOTFTs includes positioning opaque gate metal on a transparent substrate, depositing gate dielectric material overlying the gate metal and a surrounding area, and depositing metal oxide semiconductor material thereon. Etch stop material is deposited on the semiconductor material. Photoresist defines an isolation area in the semiconductor material. Exposing the photoresist from the rear surface of the substrate and removing exposed portions to leave the etch stop material uncovered except for a portion overlying and aligned with the gate metal. Etching uncovered portions of the semiconductor material to isolate the TFT. Using the photoresist, selectively etching the etch stop layer to leave a portion overlying and aligned with the gate metal and defining a channel area in the semiconductor material. Depositing and patterning conductive material to form source and drain areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: CBRITE INC.
    Inventors: Chan-Long Shieh, Gang Yu, Fatt Foong
  • Patent number: 9312361
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: forming a first shielding layer on a substrate, and forming a first spacer on a sidewall of the first shielding layer; forming one of source and drain regions with the first shielding layer and the first spacer as a mask; forming a second shielding layer on the substrate, and removing the first shielding layer; forming the other of the source and drain regions with the second shielding layer and the first spacer as a mask; removing at least a portion of the first spacer; and forming a gate dielectric layer, and forming a gate conductor in the form of spacer on a sidewall of the second shielding layer or on a sidewall of a remaining portion of the first spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Huilong Zhu, Qingqing Liang, Huicai Zhong
  • Patent number: 9312186
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a horizontal structure by using a double STI recess method. The double STI recess method includes: forming a plurality of fins on the substrate; forming shallow trench isolation between the fins; performing first etch-back on the shallow trench isolation; forming source and drain regions adjacent to channels of the fins; and performing second etch-back on the shallow trench isolations to expose a lower portion of the fins as a larger process window for forming gates of the fins. Accordingly, compared to conventional methods limited by fin height from the STI, the double STI recess method provides greater fin height, which is a larger process window for HGAA nanowire formation, to easily produce multi-stack HGAA nanowires with high current density. The number of layers used in the multi-stack HGAA nanowires is not limited and may vary based on different designs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Huan-Chieh Su, Jui-Chien Huang, Chun-An Lin, Chien-Hsun Wang, Chun-Hsiung Lin
  • Patent number: 9312365
    Abstract: The present invention provides a non-planar FET which includes a substrate, a fin structure, a sub spacer, a gate, a dielectric layer and a source/drain region. The fin structure is disposed on the substrate. The sub spacer is disposed only on a middle sidewall of the fin structure. The gate is disposed on the fin structure. The dielectric layer is disposed between the fin structure and the gate. The source/drain region is disposed in the fin structure. The present invention further provides a method of forming the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Shih-Hung Tsai, Ssu-I Fu, Ying-Tsung Chen, Chih-Wei Chen, Ying-Chih Lin, Chien-Ting Lin, Hsuan-Hsu Chen
  • Patent number: 9312211
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. The semiconductor device has a plurality of power units placed in parallel in a predetermined direction, wherein each of the power units includes a plurality of semiconductor elements placed on a metal plate having predetermined gaps with each other. The semiconductor elements of each of the two power units include a near-sided semiconductor element that is closer to an inlet of the resin among the two semiconductor elements having the predetermined gap therebetween. A structure is positioned on a passage and downstream in a resin flow direction relative to a predetermined position that corresponds to end parts of the near-sided semiconductor elements. The structure is a joint to connect the two power units placed adjacent to each other in the predetermined direction, and to be integrally sealed with the resin, along with the power unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Kadoguchi, Shingo Iwasaki, Akira Mochida, Tomomi Okumura
  • Patent number: 9305845
    Abstract: Methods for modifying a spacer and/or spaces between spacers to enable a fin cut mask to be dropped between the spacers are provided. A first set of second mandrel structures having a first width is formed on facing sidewall surfaces of a neighboring pair of first mandrel structures and a second set of second mandrel structures having a second width less than the first width are formed on non-facing sidewall surfaces of the neighboring pair of first mandrel structures. Each first mandrel structure is removed and a spacer is formed on a sidewall surface of the first and second sets of second mandrel structures. In the region between the neighboring pair of first mandrel structure, a merged spacer is formed. The first and second sets of second mandrel structures are removed. A portion of an underlying substrate can be patterned utilizing each spacer and the merged spacer as etch masks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew E. Colburn, Sivananda K. Kanakasabapathy, Fee Li Lie, Stuart A. Sieg
  • Patent number: 9293530
    Abstract: A method of forming an isolated device region. The isolated device region may include forming a first trench in a second dielectric and a first dielectric, the second dielectric is on the first dielectric, the first dielectric is on a substrate; growing a semiconductor channel in the first trench, a top portion of the semiconductor channel is a device region and a bottom portion of the semiconductor channel is a defect region; removing the second dielectric layer exposing a portion of device region; recessing the first dielectric layer exposing a trench region of the semiconductor channel, the trench region is a region between the device region and the defect region; removing the trench region of the semiconductor channel electrically isolating the device region from the defect region; and forming a barrier layer between the isolated device region and the defect region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Pouya Hashemi, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 9269855
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a light-emitting device comprising the steps of cutting a substrate by a laser beam to form a cavity in the substrate and generate a by-product directly on the substrate by the cutting, and removing the by-product by a chemical solution containing an acid under a predetermined cleaning temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: EPISTAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chien-Kai Chung, Ya Lan Yang, Ting-Chia Ko, Tsun-Kai Ko, Jung-Min Hwang, Schang-Jing Hon, De-Shan Kuo, Chien-Fu Shen, Ta-Cheng Hsu, Min-Hsun Hsieh
  • Patent number: 9269768
    Abstract: An insulation wall separating transistors formed in a thin semiconductor layer resting on an insulating layer laid on a semiconductor substrate, this wall being formed of an insulating material and comprising a wall crossing the thin layer and the insulating layer and penetrating into the substrate, and lateral extensions extending in the substrate under the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (CROLLES 2) SAS
    Inventors: David Barge, Pierre Morin
  • Patent number: 9263626
    Abstract: A material stack including an ohmic contact layer and a single crystalline semiconductor base substrate of a first conductivity type and having a surface Fermi level pinned close to a band edge (either the conduction band or valence band) is first provided. A stressor layer is then formed above the ohmic contact layer and a material portion of the single crystalline semiconductor base substrate is removed by a process referred to as spalling. A transparent conductive oxide layer is then formed on an exposed surface of the material portion of the single crystalline semiconductor base substrate that was removed by spalling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Wei Cheng, Ning Li, Devendra K. Sadana, Kuen-Ting Shiu
  • Patent number: 9263698
    Abstract: A flexible display apparatus includes a flexible substrate, a display layer disposed on one surface of the flexible substrate and including a plurality of pixels, graphene disposed on a surface opposing the one surface of the flexible substrate, and an encapsulation layer covering the display layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung-Ho Choi, Hyun-Woo Joo, Myung-Soo Huh
  • Patent number: 9252213
    Abstract: Integrated circuits with a buried N layer and methods for fabricating such integrated circuits are provided. The method includes forming a buried N layer overlying a substrate, and forming a monocrystalline layer overlying the buried N layer. After forming the monocrystalline layer, a well tap trench is formed, where the well tap trench penetrates the electronics area and the buried N layer and extends into the substrate. A well tap is formed in the well tap trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Zhang Guowei, Purakh Raj Verma
  • Patent number: 9246000
    Abstract: In an insulated-gate type semiconductor device in which a gate-purpose conductive layer is embedded into a trench which is formed in a semiconductor substrate, and a source-purpose conductive layer is provided on a major surface of the semiconductor substrate, a portion of a gate pillar which is constituted by both the gate-purpose conductive layer and a cap insulating film for capping an upper surface of the gate-purpose conductive layer is projected from the major surface of the semiconductor substrate; a side wall spacer is provided on a side wall of the projected portion of the gate pillar; and the source-purpose conductive layer is connected to a contact region of the major surface of the semiconductor substrate, which is defined by the side wall spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignees: Renesas Electronics Corporation, Renesas Eastern Japan Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inagawa, Nobuo Machida, Kentaro Oishi
  • Patent number: 9243321
    Abstract: Ternary metal nitride layers suitable for thin-film resistors are fabricated by forming constituent layers of complementary components (e.g., binary nitrides of the different metals, or a binary nitride of one metal and a metallic form of the other metal), then annealing the constituent layers to interdiffuse the materials, thus forming the ternary metal nitride. The constituent layers (e.g., 2-5 nm thick) may be sputtered from binary metal nitride targets, from metal targets in a nitrogen-containing ambient, or from metal targets in an inert ambient. Optionally, a nitrogen-containing ambient may also be used for the annealing. The annealing may be 10 seconds to 10 minutes at 500-1000° C. and may also process another component on the same substrate (e.g., activate a diode).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.
    Inventor: Mihir Tendulkar
  • Patent number: 9245746
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a semiconductor composite film with a heterojunction and a manufacturing method thereof. The semiconductor composite film includes: a semiconductor substrate; and a semiconductor epitaxial layer, which is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and it has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, wherein the heterojunction is formed between the first surface and the semiconductor substrate, and wherein the semiconductor epitaxial layer further includes at least one recess, which is formed by etching the semiconductor epitaxial layer from the second surface toward the first surface. The recess is for mitigating a strain in the semiconductor composite film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hung-Der Su, Chien-Wei Chiu, Tsung-Yi Huang
  • Patent number: 9240386
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a substrate in which a product region and scribe regions are defined; a 1st insulation film formed above the substrate; a metal film in the 1st insulation film, disposed within the scribe regions in such a manner as to surround the product region; a 2nd insulation film formed on the 1st insulation film and the metal film; a 1st groove disposed more inside than the metal film in such a manner as to surround the product region, and reaching from a top surface of the 2nd insulation film to a position deeper than a top surface of the metal film; and a 2nd groove disposed more outside than the metal film in such a manner as to surround the metal film, and reaching from the top surface of the 2nd insulation film to a position deeper than the top surface of the metal film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventor: Hajime Wada
  • Patent number: 9240404
    Abstract: An embedded resistor structure in an integrated circuit that can be formed in a replacement gate high-k metal gate metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) technology process flow. The structure is formed by etching a trench into the substrate, either by removing a shallow trench isolation structure or by silicon etch at the desired location. Deposition of the dummy gate polysilicon layer fills the trench with polysilicon; the resistor polysilicon portion is protected from dummy gate polysilicon removal by a hard mask layer. The resistor polysilicon can be doped during source/drain implant, and can have its contact locations silicide-clad without degrading the metal gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kwan-Yong Lim, Ki-Don Lee, Stanley Seungchul Song
  • Patent number: 9240412
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures, devices, and methods of forming the structures and device are disclosed. Exemplary structures include multi-gate or FinFET structures that can include both re-channel MOS (NMOS) and p-channel MOS (PMOS) devices to form CMOS structures and devices on a substrate. The devices can be formed using selective epitaxy and shallow trench isolation techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Qi Xie, Vladimir Machkaoutsan, Jan Willem Maes
  • Patent number: 9236387
    Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of increasing ON current while reducing channel resistance and allowing transistors to operate independently and stably, having a fin formed to protrude from the bottom of a gate electrode trench, a gate insulating film covering the surfaces of the gate electrode trench and the fin, a gate electrode embedded in a lower part of the gate electrode trench and formed to stride over the fin via the gate insulating film, a first impurity diffusion region arranged on a first side face, and a second impurity diffusion region arranged on a second side face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: PS4 Luxco S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Kiyonori Oyu, Kensuke Okonogi, Kazuto Mori