Patents Examined by Cory Eskridge
  • Patent number: 9142510
    Abstract: A 3D interconnect structure and method of manufacture are described in which a through-silicon vias (TSVs) and metal redistribution layers (RDLs) are formed using a dual damascene type process flow. A silicon nitride or silicon carbide passivation layer may be provided between the thinned device wafer back side and the RDLs to provide a hermetic barrier and etch stop layer during the process flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Lee, Mark T. Bohr, Andrew W. Yeoh, Christopher M. Pelto, Hiten Kothari, Seshu V. Sattiraju, Hang-Shing Ma
  • Patent number: 9142501
    Abstract: An interconnect structure that includes a substrate having an electrical component present therein, and a under-bump metallurgy (UBM) stack that is present in contact with a contact pad to the electrical component that is present in the substrate. The UBM stack includes a metallic adhesion layer that is direct contact with the contact pad to the electrical component, a copper (Cu) seed layer that is in direct contact with the metallic adhesion layer layer, a first nickel (Ni) barrier layer that is present in direct contact with copper (Cu) seed layer, and a layered structure of at least one copper (Cu) conductor layer and at least one second nickel (Ni) barrier layer present on the first nickel (Ni) barrier layer. A solder ball may be present on second nickel (Ni) barrier layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles L. Arvin, Minhua Lu, Eric D. Perfecto, David J. Russell, Wolfgang Sauter, Krystyna Semkow, Thomas A. Wassick
  • Patent number: 9136061
    Abstract: A varactor comprises a substrate having sets of gate units each having parallel gate strips. The gate units are located such that the gate strips of neighboring gate units are oriented transverse to each other. An electrically conducting gate connection layer comprises gate connection units comprising parallel gate connection strips located over the gate strips, and a cathode connection frame around each of the gate connection units. A first electrically conductive anode layer comprises first layer anode strips located parallel to the gate connection strips and connected to alternate gate connection strips, and a first anode connection frame connected to the anode strips. A second electrically conductive anode layer comprises anode strips located parallel to the gate connection strips and connected to opposite alternate gate connection strips, and a second anode connection frame connected to the second layer anode strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: NXP, B.V.
    Inventors: Olivier Tesson, Laure Rolland du Roscoat
  • Patent number: 9130024
    Abstract: A three-dimensional semiconductor device using redundant bonding-conductor structures to make inter-level electrical connections between multiple semiconductor chips is disclosed. A first chip, or other semiconductor substrate, forms a first active area on its upper surface, and a second chip or other semiconductor substrate forms a second active area on its upper surface. According to the present invention, when the second chip has been mounted above the first chip, either face-up or face-down, the first active area is coupled to the second active area by at least one redundant bonding-conductor structure. In one embodiment, each redundant bonding-conductor structure includes at least one via portion that extends completely through the second chip to perform this function. In another, the redundant bonding-conductor structure extends downward to the top level interconnect. The present invention also includes a method for making such a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wen-Chih Chiou, David Ding-Chung Lu
  • Patent number: 9129936
    Abstract: N-channel power semiconductor devices in which an insulated field plate is coupled to the drift region, and immobile electrostatic charge is also present at the interface between the drift region and the insulation around the field plate. The electrostatic charge permits OFF-state voltage drop to occur near the source region, in addition to the voltage drop which occurs near the drain region (due to the presence of the field plate).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: MaxPower Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohamed N. Darwish, Jun Zeng
  • Patent number: 9117791
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for forming transistor devices having reduced parasitic contact resistance relative to conventional devices. The techniques can be implemented, for example, using a standard contact stack such as a series of metals on, for example, silicon or silicon germanium (SiGe) source/drain regions. In accordance with one example such embodiment, an intermediate boron doped germanium layer is provided between the source/drain and contact metals to significantly reduce contact resistance. Numerous transistor configurations and suitable fabrication processes will be apparent in light of this disclosure, including both planar and non-planar transistor structures (e.g., FinFETs), as well as strained and unstrained channel structures. Graded buffering can be used to reduce misfit dislocation. The techniques are particularly well-suited for implementing p-type devices, but can be used for n-type devices if so desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Glenn A. Glass, Anand S. Murthy, Tahir Ghani
  • Patent number: 9117894
    Abstract: A field effect transistor, the field effect transistor includes a substrate including a surface and a gate structure including sidewalls and a top surface, the gate structure being positioned over the substrate. The field effect transistor further includes a spacer adjacent to the sidewalls of the gate structure and a first contact etch stop layer over the spacer and extending along the surface of the substrate. The field effect transistor further includes an interlayer dielectric layer adjacent to the first contact etch stop layer, wherein a top surface of the interlayer dielectric layer is coplanar with the top surface of the gate structure. The field effect transistor further includes a second contact etch stop layer over at least a portion of the top surface of the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Lee-Wee Teo, Ming Zhu, Bao-Ru Young, Harry-Hak-Lay Chuang
  • Patent number: 9117811
    Abstract: A microelectronic package includes a substrate overlying the front face of a microelectronic element. A plurality of metal bumps can project from conductive elements of the substrate towards the microelectronic element, the metal bumps having first ends extending from the conductive elements, second ends remote from the conductive elements, and lateral surfaces extending between the first and second ends. A conductive matrix material can contact the second ends and at least portions of the lateral surfaces of respective ones of the metal bumps and join the metal bumps with contacts of the microelectronic element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventor: Wael Zohni
  • Patent number: 9099433
    Abstract: A low leakage current switch device (110) is provided which includes a GaN-on-Si substrate (11-13) covered by a passivation surface layer (43) in which a T-gate electrode with sidewall extensions (48) is formed and coated with a conformal passivation layer (49) so that the T-gate electrode sidewall extensions are spaced apart from the underlying passivation surface layer (43) by the conformal passivation layer (49).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce M. Green, Karen E. Moore, Olin Hartin
  • Patent number: 9087734
    Abstract: A memory device includes a substrate having an active region defined therein that extends linearly along a first direction. The device also includes a select line on the substrate and extending along a second direction to perpendicularly cross the active region, first and second floating gate patterns on the active region and spaced apart along the first direction, and first and second dielectric patterns on respective ones of the first and second floating gate patterns. The device further includes first and second word lines on respective ones of the first and second dielectric patterns and extending in parallel with the select line along the first direction. A first area of overlap of the first word line with the first floating gate pattern and the first dielectric pattern is less than a second area of overlap of the second word line with the second floating gate pattern and the second dielectric pattern. The first word line may be disposed between the select line and the second word line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joon-Sung Lim, Jong-Ho Park, Ok-Cheon Hong, Ji-Hwan Jeon
  • Patent number: 9087688
    Abstract: In a semiconductor memory device, a plurality of control gates is stacked in a first region and a second region of a substrate. A plurality of interlayer insulating layers is stacked in a portion of the second region of the substrate. Each interlayer insulating layer is formed at the same level as a corresponding one of the control gates. A plurality of sub-control gates is stacked in the first and second regions region of the substrate and interposed between the control gates and the interlayer insulating layers. A common node penetrates the interlayer insulating layers and the sub-control gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: SK HYNIX INC.
    Inventor: Young Soo Ahn
  • Patent number: 9084378
    Abstract: An interconnect structure that includes a substrate having an electrical component present therein, and a under-bump metallurgy (UBM) stack that is present in contact with a contact pad to the electrical component that is present in the substrate. The UBM stack includes a metallic adhesion layer that is direct contact with the contact pad to the electrical component, a copper (Cu) seed layer that is in direct contact with the metallic adhesion layer, a first nickel (Ni) barrier layer that is present in direct contact with copper (Cu) seed layer, and a layered structure of at least one copper (Cu) conductor layer and at least one second nickel (Ni) barrier layer present on the first nickel (Ni) barrier layer. A solder ball may be present on second nickel (Ni) barrier layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Charles L. Arvin, Minhua Lu, Eric D. Perfecto, Krystyna W. Semkow, Thomas A. Wassick
  • Patent number: 9076718
    Abstract: The present invention provides an oxide semiconductor capable of achieving a thin film transistor having stable transistor characteristics, a thin film transistor having a channel layer formed of the oxide semiconductor and a production method thereof, and a display device equipped with the thin film transistor. The oxide semiconductor of the present invention is an oxide semiconductor for a thin film transistor. The oxide semiconductor includes indium, gallium, zinc, and oxygen as constituent atoms, and the oxygen content of the oxide semiconductor is 87% to 95% of the stoichiometric condition set as 100%, in terms of atomic units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Ohta, Go Mori, Hirohiko Nishiki, Yoshimasa Chikama, Tetsuya Aita, Masahiko Suzuki, Okifumi Nakagawa, Michiko Takei, Yoshiyuki Harumoto, Takeshi Hara
  • Patent number: 9076884
    Abstract: A method of making a package for a semiconductor device having electrical terminals. At least one semiconductor device is located on a substrate. A first dielectric layer is printed on at least a portion of the semiconductor device to include first recesses aligned with a plurality of the electrical terminals. A conductive material is deposited in the first recesses forming contact members. A second dielectric layer is printed on at least a portion of the first dielectric layer to include second recesses aligned with a plurality of the first recesses. A conductive material is deposited in at least a portion of the second recesses to include a circuit geometry and a plurality of exposed terminals. A compliant material is deposited in recesses in one or more of the first and second dielectric layers adjacent to a plurality of the exposed terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: HSIO TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: James Rathburn
  • Patent number: 9076792
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a recess defined in a dielectric layer and an interconnect structure defined in the recess. The interconnect structure includes a first barrier layer lining the recess, the first barrier layer including an alloy of tantalum and a first transition metal other than tantalum, wherein a first interface between the first barrier layer and the dielectric layer has a first stress level. A second barrier layer is positioned on the first barrier layer, the second barrier layer including at least one of tantalum and tantalum nitride, wherein a second interface between the second barrier layer and the first barrier layer has a second stress level that is less than the first stress level. The interconnect structure further includes a fill material substantially filling the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Vivian W. Ryan, Xunyuan Zhang, Paul R. Besser
  • Patent number: 9059069
    Abstract: There is provided a linear sensor including a plurality of sensor elements that are disposed in line, each including a light sensing part that senses light, generates an electric charge according to an amount of the sensed light, and accumulates the electric charge, a readout gate used to read out the electric charge accumulated in the light sensing part, and a reset gate used to discharge the electric charge accumulated in the light sensing part so as to be reset, wherein a region having a highest concentration of an impurity included in the light sensing part is formed in a position similarly away from the readout gate and the reset gate in the light sensing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kandai Fukuyama
  • Patent number: 9059312
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a first conductivity type transistor and a second conductivity type transistor, wherein each of the first conductivity type transistor and the second conductivity type includes a gate insulating film formed on a base, a metal gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film, and side wall spacers formed at side walls of the metal gate electrode, wherein the gate insulating film is made of a high dielectric constant material, and wherein offset spacers are formed between the side walls of the metal gate electrode and the inner walls of the side wall spacers in any one of the first conductivity type transistor and the second conductivity type transistor, or offset spacers having different thicknesses are formed in the first conductivity type transistor and the second conductivity type transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9046673
    Abstract: An optoelectronic apparatus includes an optical device with an optical structure including a plurality of optical elements and a concentrator which is a hollow body having a reflective inner area, and a radiation-emitting or radiation-receiving semiconductor chip with a contact structure including a plurality of contact elements that make electrical contact with the semiconductor chip and are spaced apart vertically from the optical structure, wherein the contact elements are arranged in interspaces between the optical elements upon projection of the contact structure into a plane of the optical structure, wherein the concentrator has an aperture on a side facing the semiconductor chip that is smaller than a side facing away from the semiconductor chip, and the optical structure is arranged on a side of the concentrator facing the semiconductor chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Brick, Julius Muschaweck, Joachim Frank
  • Patent number: 9041211
    Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor chip including a target circuit surface and a side surface, a first sealing insulating layer including a first surface positioned toward the target circuit surface and a second surface positioned opposite to the first surface, the first sealing insulating layer sealing the target circuit surface and the side surface, a wiring layer formed on the first surface of the first sealing insulating layer, an insulating layer formed on the wiring layer, a second semiconductor chip mounted on the second surface of the first sealing insulating layer, and a second sealing insulating layer formed on the second surface and sealing the second semiconductor chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: SHINKO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenta Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 9035394
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region defined by a device isolation layer and including first and second sections or regions, a gate electrode extending in a first direction across the active region over a channel between the first region and the second region and including at least one first gate tab protruding in a second direction toward the first region, and first and second contact plugs. The first gate tab covers and extends along a boundary between the active region and the device isolation layer. The first contact plug is disposed over the first region, the second contact plug is disposed over the second region, and the second contact plug has an effective width, as measured in the first direction, greater than that of the first contact plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO.. LTD.
    Inventors: Seung-Uk Han, Nam-Ho Jeon