Patents Examined by Christopher A Johnson
  • Patent number: 11978675
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate structure disposed over a channel region, and a source/drain region. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer over the channel region, a first work function adjustment layer, over the gate dielectric layer, a first shield layer over the first work function adjustment layer, a first barrier layer, and a metal gate electrode layer. The first work function adjustment layer is made up of n-type work function adjustment layer and includes aluminum. The first shield layer is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of metal, metal nitride, metal carbide, silicide, a layer containing one or more of F, Ga, In, Zr, Mn and Sn, and an aluminum containing layer having a lower aluminum concentration than the first work function adjustment layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chandrashekhar Prakash Savant, Chia-Ming Tsai, Ming-Te Chen, Tien-Wei Yu
  • Patent number: 11980028
    Abstract: A semiconductor includes a lower structure and a stack structure having interlayer insulating layers and horizontal layers alternately stacked on the lower structure. A first dam vertical structure penetrates the stack structure. The first dam vertical structure divides the stack structure into a gate stack region and an insulator stack region. The horizontal layers include gate horizontal layers in the gate stack region and insulating horizontal layers in the insulator stack region. A memory vertical structure and a supporter vertical structure penetrate the gate stack region. Separation structures penetrate the gate stack region. One separation structure includes a first side surface, a second side surface not perpendicular to the first side surface, and a connection side surface extending from the first side surface to the second side surface. The connection side surface is higher than an uppermost gate horizontal layer of the gate horizontal layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Geunwon Lim, Minjun Kang, Byunggon Park, Joongshik Shin
  • Patent number: 11978814
    Abstract: A photo detector includes a superlattice with an undoped first semiconductor layer including undoped intrinsic semiconductor material, a doped second semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type on the first semiconductor layer, an undoped third semiconductor layer including undoped intrinsic semiconductor material on the second semiconductor layer, and a fourth semiconductor layer having a second opposite conductivity type on the third semiconductor layer, along with a first contact having the first conductivity type in the first, second, third, and fourth semiconductor layers, and a second contact having the second conductivity type and spaced apart from the first contact in the first, second, third, and fourth semiconductor layers. An optical shield on a second shielded portion of a top surface of the fourth semiconductor layer establishes electron and hole lakes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: He Lin, Sameer Pendharkar
  • Patent number: 11978792
    Abstract: A field effect transistor (FET) includes a plurality of substantially parallel conductive channels and at least one electrically conducting plug to travers and form an ohmic connection with at least two of the plurality of conductive channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: VISIC TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Gregory Bunin, Tamara Baksht
  • Patent number: 11980034
    Abstract: There are provided a memory device and a manufacturing method of the memory device. The memory device includes: a peripheral circuit disposed on a substrate; and a gate stack structure overlapping with the peripheral circuit. The gate stack structure includes a plurality of first cell plugs having substantially a cylindrical structure and a plurality of second cell plugs having substantially a hexagonal prism structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Dong Hun Lee, Jung Shik Jang
  • Patent number: 11974433
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a third insulating pattern and a first insulating pattern on a substrate, the third insulating pattern and the first insulating pattern being spaced apart from each other in a first direction that is perpendicular to the substrate such that a bottom surface of the third insulating pattern and a top surface of the first insulating pattern face each other, a gate electrode between the bottom surface of the third insulating pattern and the top surface of the first insulating pattern, and including a first side extending between the bottom surface of the third insulating pattern and the top surface of the first insulating pattern, and a second insulating pattern that protrudes from the first side of the gate electrode by a second width in a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joo-Heon Kang, Tae Hun Kim, Jae Ryong Sim, Kwang Young Jung, Gi Yong Chung, Jee Hoon Han, Doo Hee Hwang
  • Patent number: 11973144
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an isolation insulating layer disposed over a substrate, a semiconductor fin disposed over the substrate, an upper portion of the semiconductor fin protruding from the isolation insulating layer and a lower portion of the semiconductor fin being embedded in the isolation insulating layer, a gate structure disposed over the upper portion of the semiconductor fin and including a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer, gate sidewall spacers disposed over opposing side faces of the gate structure, and a source/drain epitaxial layer. The upper portion of the semiconductor fin includes a first epitaxial growth enhancement layer made of a semiconductor material different from a remaining part of the semiconductor fin. The first epitaxial growth enhancement layer is in contact with the source/drain epitaxial layer. The gate dielectric layer covers the upper portion of the semiconductor fin including the first epitaxial growth enhancement layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chang-Yin Chen, Che-Cheng Chang, Chih-Han Lin
  • Patent number: 11903197
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes gate electrodes and insulating layers spaced apart from each other on a substrate and alternately stacked in a direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, and channel structures that extend through stack structures. Ones of the structures include a channel insulating layer, a pad layer on the channel insulating layer, and a channel layer. The channel layer includes a first channel region, and a second channel region including a semiconductor material having a length shorter than a length of the first channel region and having an impurity concentration of a first conductivity type and the pad layer includes a semiconductor material doped with a second conductivity type impurity. A height level of a lower surface of the second channel region is lower than a height level of a lower surface of a first erase gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: Suhwan Lim, Jaehun Jung, Sanghoon Kim, Taehun Kim, Seongchan Lee
  • Patent number: 11903190
    Abstract: A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stacks of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers. Memory opening fill structures located in memory openings include a memory film and plural vertical semiconductor channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventor: Yukihiro Sakotsubo
  • Patent number: 11895838
    Abstract: A vertical memory device includes a first gate structure on a substrate, the first gate structure including first gate electrodes spaced from each other in a first direction and stacked in a staircase shape, a second gate structure on the first gate structure and including second gate electrodes spaced from each other in the first direction and stacked in the staircase shape, a channel extending through the first and second gate structures, and a contact plug extending in the first direction through the first and second gate structures, wherein second steps at end portions of the second gate electrodes overlap first steps at end portions of the first gate electrodes, and wherein the contact plug extends through at least one of the first steps and through at least one of the second steps, while being electrically connected only to the first steps or to the second steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Seokcheon Baek
  • Patent number: 11889696
    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. Channel-material-string structures of memory cells extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The channel-material-string structures individually comprise an upper portion above and joined with a lower portion. Individual of the channel-material-string structures comprise at least one external jog surface in a vertical cross-section where the upper and lower portions join. Other embodiments, including method are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John D. Hopkins, Nancy M. Lomeli
  • Patent number: 11882685
    Abstract: A memory cell is disclosed. The memory cell includes a transistor and a capacitor. The transistor includes a source region, a drain region, and a channel region including an indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO, which is also known in the art as GIZO) material. The capacitor is in operative communication with the transistor, and the capacitor includes a top capacitor electrode and a bottom capacitor electrode. Also disclosed is a semiconductor device including a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) array of DRAM cells. Also disclosed is a system including a memory array of DRAM cells and methods for forming the disclosed memory cells and arrays of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Gurtej S. Sandhu
  • Patent number: 11876019
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the semiconductor devices are provided. The methods may include forming a fin, forming a first device isolating layer on a side of the fin, forming a second device isolating layer extending through the first device isolating layer, forming first and second gates traversing the fin and forming a third device isolating layer between the first and second gates. The first device isolating layer may include a first material and a lowermost surface at a first depth. The second device isolating layer may include a second material and a lowermost surface at a second depth greater than the first depth. The third device isolating layer may extend into the fin, may include a lowermost surface at a third depth less than the first depth and a third material different from the first and the second materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Min Kim, Sunhom Steve Paak, Heon-Jong Shin, Dong-Ho Cha
  • Patent number: 11862589
    Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a semiconductor chip comprising a first surface and a second surface, a redistribution layer on the first surface of the semiconductor chip, an under bump metal (UBM) layer on the redistribution layer, and a solder bump on the UBM layer, and the solder bump covers both outer side surfaces of the UBM layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyung Sun Jang, Yeo Hoon Yoon
  • Patent number: 11864384
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device includes a mold structure having a stack of word lines on a substrate and first and second string selection lines on the word lines, a first cutting structure through the mold structure, a second cutting structure through the mold structure, the second cutting structure being spaced apart from the first cutting structure, a channel structure penetrating the mold structure to be connected to the substrate, the channel structure being between the first and second cutting structures, a first cutting line cutting through the first string selection line but not through the second string selection line, the first cutting line being between the first and second cutting structures, and a second cutting line cutting through the second string selection line but not through the first string selection line, the second cutting line being between the second cutting structure and the channel structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Je Suk Moon, Seo-Goo Kang, Young Hwan Son, Kohji Kanamori, Jee Hoon Han
  • Patent number: 11862454
    Abstract: A change in electrical characteristics in a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor film is inhibited, and the reliability is improved. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode, a first insulating film over the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film over the first insulating film, a source electrode electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor film, a drain electrode electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor film, a second insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film, the source electrode, and the drain electrode, a first metal oxide film over the second insulating film, and a second metal oxide film over the first metal oxide film. The first metal oxide film contains at least one metal element that is the same as a metal element contained in the oxide semiconductor film. The second metal oxide film includes a region where the second metal oxide film and the first metal oxide film are mixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Junichi Koezuka, Kenichi Okazaki, Masami Jintyou
  • Patent number: 11855154
    Abstract: Vertical interconnect structures and methods of forming are provided. The vertical interconnect structures may be formed by partially filling a first opening through one or more dielectric layers with layers of conductive materials. A second opening is formed in a dielectric layer such that a depth of the first opening after partially filling with the layers of conductive materials is close to a depth of the second opening. The remaining portion of the first opening and the second opening may then be simultaneously filled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Po-Yu Huang, Shih-Che Lin, Chao-Hsun Wang, Kuo-Yi Chao, Mei-Yun Wang, Feng-Yu Chang, Rueijer Lin, Chen-Yuan Kao
  • Patent number: 11856765
    Abstract: A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, an array of memory opening fill structures located within an array of memory openings vertically extending through the alternating stack, and a drain-select-level isolation structure vertically extending through drain-select-level electrically conductive layers between two rows of memory opening fill structures. The drain-select-level isolation structure may comprise a low-k dielectric material or an air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Koichi Matsuno, Masaaki Higashitani, Johann Alsmeier
  • Patent number: 11856773
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a pattern structure; a stack structure including gate and interlayer insulating layers on the pattern structure; and vertical structures penetrating through the stack structure, contacting the pattern structure. The pattern structure includes a lower pattern layer, an intermediate pattern layer, and an upper pattern layer sequentially stacked, the vertical structures including a vertical memory structure penetrating through the upper pattern and intermediate pattern layers and extending into the lower pattern layer, the intermediate pattern layer including a first portion, a second portion extending from the first portion and having a decreased thickness, and a third portion extending from the first portion, having an increased thickness, and contacting the vertical memory structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yujin Seo, Euntaek Jung, Byoungil Lee, Seul Lee, Joonhee Lee, Changdae Jung, Bonghyun Choi, Sejie Takaki
  • Patent number: 11855018
    Abstract: A redistribution layer with a landing pad is formed over a substrate with one or more mesh holes extending through the landing pad. The mesh holes may be arranged in a circular shape, and a passivation layer may be formed over the landing pad and the mesh holes. An opening is formed through the passivation layer and an underbump metallization is formed in contact with an exposed portion of the landing pad and extends over the mesh holes. By utilizing the mesh holes, sidewall delamination and peeling that might otherwise occur may be reduced or eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng-Hsien Hsieh, Hsien-Wei Chen, Chen-Hua Yu, Tsung-Shu Lin, Wei-Cheng Wu