Patents Examined by Dao H. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11355410
    Abstract: A device includes a device layer comprising a first transistor; a first interconnect structure on a front-side of the device layer; and a second interconnect structure on a backside of the device layer. The second interconnect structure includes a first dielectric layer on the backside of the device layer; a contact extending through the first dielectric layer to a source/drain region of the first transistor; a conductive line electrically connected to the source/drain region of the first transistor through the contact; and a thermal dissipation path thermally connected to the device layer, the thermal dissipation path extending to a surface of the second interconnect structure opposite the device layer. The thermal dissipation path comprises a dummy via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wen-Sheh Huang, Yu-Hsiang Chen, Chii-Ping Chen
  • Patent number: 11355418
    Abstract: A package structure includes a wafer-form semiconductor package and a thermal dissipating system. The wafer-form semiconductor package includes semiconductor dies electrically connected with each other. The thermal dissipating system is located on and thermally coupled to the wafer-form semiconductor package, where the thermal dissipating system has a hollow structure with a fluidic space, and the fluidic space includes a ceiling and a floor. The thermal dissipating system includes at least one inlet opening, at least one outlet opening and a plurality of first microstructures. The at least one inlet opening and the at least one outlet opening are spatially communicated with the fluidic space. The first microstructures are located on the floor, and at least one of the first microstructures is corresponding to the at least one outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Hua Yu, Chun-Hui Yu, Jeng-Nan Hung, Kuo-Chung Yee
  • Patent number: 11348916
    Abstract: Stacked transistor structures having a conductive interconnect between upper and lower transistors. In an embodiment, the interconnect is formed by first provisioning a protective layer over an area to be protected (gate dielectric or other sensitive material) of upper transistor, and then etching material adjacent and below the protected area to expose an underlying contact point of lower transistor. A metal is deposited into the void created by the etch to provide the interconnect. The protective layer is resistant to the etch process and is preserved in the structure, and in some cases may be utilized as a work-function metal. In an embodiment, the protective layer is formed by deposition of reactive semiconductor and metal material layers which are subsequently transformed into a work function metal or work function metal-containing compound. A remnant of unreacted reactive semiconductor material may be left in structure and collinear with protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron D. Lilak, Anh Phan, Ehren Mannebach, Cheng-Ying Huang, Stephanie A. Bojarski, Gilbert Dewey, Orb Acton, Willy Rachmady
  • Patent number: 11335776
    Abstract: A device includes a first semiconductor strip protruding from a substrate, a second semiconductor strip protruding from the substrate, an isolation material surrounding the first semiconductor strip and the second semiconductor strip, a nanosheet structure over the first semiconductor strip, wherein the nanosheet structure is separated from the first semiconductor strip by a first gate structure including a gate electrode material, wherein the first gate structure partially surrounds the nanosheet structure, and a first semiconductor channel region and a semiconductor second channel region over the second semiconductor strip, wherein the first semiconductor channel region is separated from the second semiconductor channel region by a second gate structure including the gate electrode material, wherein the second gate structure extends on a top surface of the second semiconductor strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Pei-Yu Wang, Pei-Hsun Wang
  • Patent number: 11335596
    Abstract: Examples of an integrated circuit with an interconnect structure and a method for forming the integrated circuit are provided herein. In some examples, the method includes receiving a workpiece that includes a substrate and an interconnect structure. The interconnect structure includes a first conductive feature disposed within a first inter-level dielectric layer. A blocking layer is selectively formed on the first conductive feature without forming the blocking layer on the first inter-level dielectric layer. An alignment feature is selectively formed on the first inter-level dielectric layer without forming the alignment feature on the blocking layer. The blocking layer is removed from the first conductive feature, and a second inter-level dielectric layer is formed on the alignment feature and on the first conductive feature. The second inter-level dielectric layer is patterned to define a recess for a second conductive feature, and the second conductive feature is formed within the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hsin-Yen Huang, Shao-Kuan Lee, Cheng-Chin Lee, Hai-Ching Chen, Shau-Lin Shue
  • Patent number: 11335606
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method to form a stacked semiconductor device with power rails. The method includes forming the stacked semiconductor device on a first surface of a substrate. The stacked semiconductor device includes a first fin structure, an isolation structure on the first fin structure, and a second fin structure above the first fin structure and in contact with the isolation structure. The first fin structure includes a first source/drain (S/D) region, and the second fin structure includes a second S/D region. The method also includes etching a second surface of the substrate and a portion of the first S/D region or the second S/D region to form an opening. The second surface is opposite to the first surface. The method further includes forming a dielectric barrier in the opening and forming an S/D contact in the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chansyun David Yang, Keh-Jeng Chang, Chan-Lon Yang
  • Patent number: 11335790
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure contains a semiconductor channel extending between a source region and a drain region, at least one gate electrode, a ferroelectric material portion located between the semiconductor channel and the at least one gate electrode, a front-side gate dielectric located between the ferroelectric material portion and the semiconductor channel, and a backside gate dielectric located between the ferroelectric material portion and the at least one gate electrode. The front-side gate dielectric and the backside gate dielectric have a dielectric constant greater than 7.9 and a band gap greater than a band gap of the ferroelectric material portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Peter Rabkin, Masaaki Higashitani
  • Patent number: 11328996
    Abstract: A device package and method of forming the device package are described. The device package includes a dielectric on a conductive pad, a first via on a top surface of conductive pad, where the first via extends through dielectric, and a conductive trace on dielectric. The device package has a second via on dielectric, where the conductive trace connects to first and second vias, and the second via connects to an edge of conductive trace opposite from first via. The device package may have a seed on dielectric, where the seed electrically couples to conductive trace, a first seed on the top surface of conductive pad, where the first via is on first seed, and a second seed on a top surface of first via, the second seed on surfaces of second via, where the conductive trace is on second seed disposed on both first and second vias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Veronica Strong, Aleksandar Aleksov, Brandon Rawlings
  • Patent number: 11322495
    Abstract: A complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor device includes a p-type field effect transistor and an n-type filed effect transistor. The p-type filed effect transistor has a first transistor architecture. The n-type field effect transistor is coupled with the p-type field effect transistor and has a second transistor architecture. The second transistor architecture is different from the first transistor architecture. The p-type field effect transistor and the n-type field effect transistor share a same gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Georgios Vellianitis
  • Patent number: 11322348
    Abstract: A multi-function equipment implements a method of fabricating a thin film. The multi-function equipment according to the invention includes a reaction chamber, a plasma source, a plasma source power generating unit, a bias electrode, an AC (Alternating Current) voltage generating unit, a DC (Direct current) bias generating unit, a metal chuck, a first precursor supply source, a second precursor supply source, a carrier gas supply source, an oxygen supply source, a nitrogen supply source, an inert gas supply source, an automatic pressure controller, and a vacuum pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Inventor: Miin-Jang Chen
  • Patent number: 11315934
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include transistor devices with depopulated channels. In an embodiment, the transistor device comprises a source region, a drain region, and a vertical stack of semiconductor channels between the source region and the drain region. In an embodiment, the vertical stack of semiconductor channels comprises first semiconductor channels, and a second semiconductor channel over the first semiconductor channels. In an embodiment, first concentrations of a dopant in the first semiconductor channels are less than a second concentration of the dopant in the second semiconductor channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Peng Zheng, Varun Mishra, Tahir Ghani
  • Patent number: 11302567
    Abstract: A method includes forming a first plurality of fins in a first region of a substrate, a first recess being interposed between adjacent fins in the first region of the substrate, the first recess having a first depth and a first width, forming a second plurality of fins in a second region of the substrate, a second recess being interposed between adjacent fins in the second region of the substrate, the second recess having a second depth and a second width, the second width of the second recess being less than the first width of the first recess, the second depth of the second recess being less than the first depth of the first recess, forming a first dielectric layer in the first recess and the second recess, and converting the first dielectric layer in the first recess and the second recess to a treated dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Szu-Ying Chen, Sen-Hong Syue, Huicheng Chang, Yee-Chia Yeo
  • Patent number: 11302649
    Abstract: A method includes embedding a die in a molding material; forming a first dielectric layer over the molding material and the die; forming a conductive line over an upper surface of the first dielectric layer facing away from the die; and forming a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer and the conductive line. The method further includes forming a first trench opening extending through the first dielectric layer or the second dielectric layer, where a longitudinal axis of the first trench is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the conductive line, and where no electrically conductive feature is exposed at a bottom of the first trench opening; and filling the first trench opening with an electrically conductive material to form a first ground trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shih-Ya Huang, Chung-Hao Tsai, Chuei-Tang Wang, Chen-Hua Yu, Chih-Yuan Chang
  • Patent number: 11296083
    Abstract: 3D vertically-integrated FETs electrically coupled by integrated vertical FET-to-FET interconnects for reducing an area of CMOS cell circuits are disclosed. Vertically integrated FETs reduce a footprint area of an integrated circuit chip. The FETs include horizontal channel structures that are vertically integrated by stacking a second channel structure of a second FET above a first channel structure of a first FET. The first and second FETs can include a combination of a PFET and NFET that can be used to form a 3D CMOS cell circuit as an example. The area occupied by the 3D CMOS cell circuit includes interconnects for electrically coupling terminal regions of the FETs internally and externally. Vertical FET-to-FET interconnects extend between the FETs to electrically couple terminal regions of the FETs to reduce a number of vias from a semiconductor layer of the 3D CMOS cell circuit to metal interconnect layers above the vertically-integrated FETs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ye Lu, Lixin Ge, Kwanyong Lim, Jun Chen
  • Patent number: 11289382
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure. A first sacrificial gate is formed on a substrate. A spacer is formed on a sidewall of the first sacrificial gate. In the substrate, adjacent to the first sacrificial gate, a source region and a drain region are formed. A channel region is formed between the source region and the drain region. The first sacrificial gate is removed, and a gate trench is formed on the channel region between the spacers. The substrate is etched via the gate trench, thereby forming a recessed trench between the source region and the drain region, and extending into the substrate. The recessed trench has a hexagonal cross-sectional profile. A stress inducing material layer is then formed in the recessed trench. A channel layer is epitaxially grown on the stress inducing material layer. A gate structure is formed on the channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Po-Yu Yang
  • Patent number: 11289495
    Abstract: SRAM cell circuits have a minimum distance between a storage circuit active region and a read port circuit active region to reduce area. SRAM cell circuits are formed in FinFETs in a storage circuit active area and a read port active area each including one or more diffusion regions of a substrate. Design rule constraints limit a minimum center-to-center distance between adjacent parallel fins. The SRAM bit cell has a reduced total area because a distance between the storage circuit active area and the read port active area is reduced to a minimum separation distance of between 1.0 and 2.15 times the smallest center-to-center distance between adjacent fins. Minimizing a separation distance may include relocating a gate contact of a write access transistor from a location between the storage circuit active region and the read port active region to a location overlapping the storage circuit active area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Rahul Biradar, Sunil Sharma, Channappa Desai, Sonia Ghosh
  • Patent number: 11282942
    Abstract: An embodiment method includes: forming a semiconductor liner layer on exposed surfaces of a fin structure that extends above a dielectric isolation structure disposed over a substrate; forming a first capping layer to laterally surround a bottom portion of the semiconductor liner layer; forming a second capping layer over an upper portion of the semiconductor liner layer; and annealing the fin structure having the semiconductor liner layer, the first capping layer, and the second capping layer thereon, the annealing driving a dopant from the semiconductor liner layer into the fin structure, wherein a dopant concentration profile in a bottom portion of the fin structure is different from a dopant concentration profile in an upper portion of the fin structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wei-Chih Kao, Hsin-Che Chiang, Yu-San Chien, Chun-Sheng Liang, Kuo-Hua Pan
  • Patent number: 11276753
    Abstract: A transistor and electronic apparatus are disclosed. In one example, a transistor includes a semiconductor substrate containing an electrically-conductive impurity. A device separation layer defines a device region. A buried insulation layer is provided in the device region, and a gate electrode crosses the device region. A drain region and a source region are opposed to each other with the gate electrode in between in the device region. A concentration or a polarity of the electrically-conductive impurity in the semiconductor substrate in an end region including at least an end portion of the gate electrode on drain region side is different from a concentration or a polarity of the electrically-conductive impurity in the semiconductor substrate in a middle region including a middle portion of the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Fukasaku
  • Patent number: 11276654
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided to remove heat from an integrated circuit (IC) device die by directing heat through a waveguide to a heat sink. Embodiments provide the waveguide mounted on top of a package containing the IC device die. The waveguide is thermally coupled to the IC device die. The waveguide transports the heat to a heat sink coupled to the waveguide and located adjacent to the package on top of a printed circuit board on which the package is mounted. Embodiments provide both thermal dissipation of the generated heat while at the same time maintaining good radio frequency (RF) performance of the waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Michael B. Vincent, Antonius Johannes Matheus de Graauw, Giorgio Carluccio, Waqas Hassan Syed, Maristella Spella
  • Patent number: 11276643
    Abstract: Semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor device comprises a dielectric layer formed over a power rail; a bottom semiconductor layer formed over the dielectric layer; a backside spacer formed along a sidewall of the bottom semiconductor layer; a conductive feature contacting a sidewall of the dielectric layer and a sidewall of the backside spacer; channel semiconductor layers over the bottom semiconductor layer, wherein the channel semiconductor layers are stacked up and separated from each other; a metal gate structure wrapping each of the channel semiconductor layers; and an epitaxial source/drain (S/D) feature contacting a sidewall of each of the channel semiconductor layers, wherein the epitaxial S/D feature contacts the conductive feature, and the conductive feature contacts the power rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Po-Yu Huang, Jason Yao, Fu-Kai Yang, Mei-Yun Wang