Patents Examined by Edward Wojciechowicz
  • Patent number: 8735978
    Abstract: Embodiments of a semiconductor device include a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface, a trench formed in the semiconductor substrate and extending from the first surface partially through the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode material deposited in the trench, and a void cavity in the semiconductor substrate between the gate electrode material and the second surface. A portion of the semiconductor substrate is located between the void cavity and the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Ljubo Radic, Edouard D. de Frésart
  • Patent number: 8736072
    Abstract: A semiconductor circuit pattern includes an angled conductive pattern having a line portion and a pad portion at an end of the line portion extending normal to the line portion on a first side of the line portion. The pad portion has a width greater than a width of the line portion. A spacing has a first portion adjacent the first side of the pad portion, and a second portion adjacent a second side of the pad portion opposite the first side. The first portion of the spacing has a width greater than the width of the second portion of the spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Ching Wang, Chan-Kang Kuo, Ting-Yu Yen, Hsing-Wang Chen, Chun-Shiang Chang, Yen-Shen Chen
  • Patent number: 8729524
    Abstract: In an aspect, the present invention provides stretchable, and optionally printable, components such as semiconductors and electronic circuits capable of providing good performance when stretched, compressed, flexed or otherwise deformed, and related methods of making or tuning such stretchable components. Stretchable semiconductors and electronic circuits preferred for some applications are flexible, in addition to being stretchable, and thus are capable of significant elongation, flexing, bending or other deformation along one or more axes. Further, stretchable semiconductors and electronic circuits of the present invention are adapted to a wide range of device configurations to provide fully flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: John A. Rogers, Matthew Meitl, Yugang Sun, Heung Cho Ko, Andrew Carlson, Won Mook Choi, Mark Stoykovich, Hanqing Jiang, Yonggang Huang, Ralph G. Nuzzo, Zhengtao Zhu, Etienne Menard, Dahl-Young Khang
  • Patent number: 8723168
    Abstract: A display includes: a first light-emitting device disposed in a first region on a substrate and including a transfer organic layer; a second light-emitting device disposed in a second region adjacent to the first region on the substrate and not including a transfer organic layer; and a level difference provided between the first region and the second region, and being large enough to inhibit transfer of the transfer organic layer to the second region when the transfer organic layer is formed in the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Ando, Tatsuya Matsumi, Toshiaki Imai, Tsutomu Mori
  • Patent number: 8716842
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a dielectric layer in which zirconium, hafnium, and a IV group element are mixed. A method for fabricating a capacitor includes forming a bottom electrode, forming the dielectric layer and forming a top electrode over the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Kee-Jeung Lee, Kwon Hong, Kyung-Woong Park, Ji-Hoon Ahn
  • Patent number: 8716864
    Abstract: A DBA-based power device includes a DBA (Direct Bonded Aluminum) substrate. An amount of silver nanoparticle paste of a desired shape and size is deposited (for example by micro-jet deposition) onto a metal plate of the DBA. The paste is then sintered, thereby forming a sintered silver feature that is in electrical contact with an aluminum plate of the DBA. The DBA is bonded (for example, is ultrasonically welded) to a lead of a leadframe. Silver is deposited onto the wafer back side and the wafer is singulated into dice. In a solderless silver-to-silver die attach process, the silvered back side of a die is pressed down onto the sintered silver feature on the top side of the DBA. At an appropriate temperature and pressure, the silver of the die fuses to the sintered silver of the DBA. After wirebonding, encapsulation and lead trimming, the DBA-based power device is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: IXYS Corporation
    Inventor: Nathan Zommer
  • Patent number: 8710498
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a thin-film transistor circuit substrate including forming an oxide semiconductor thin film above an insulative substrate, forming a gate insulation film and a gate electrode which are stacked on a first region of the oxide semiconductor thin film, and exposing from the gate insulation film a second region and a third region of the oxide semiconductor thin film, the second region and the third region being located on both sides of the first region of the oxide semiconductor thin film, forming an interlayer insulation film of silicon nitride including dangling bonds of silicon, the interlayer insulation film covering the second region and the third region of the oxide semiconductor thin film, the gate insulation film and the gate electrode, and forming a source electrode and a drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Shibata, Hajime Watakabe, Atsushi Sasaki, Yuki Matsuura, Muneharu Akiyoshi, Hiroyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8710547
    Abstract: The inventive concept provides avalanche photo diodes and methods of manufacturing the same. The avalanche photo diode may include a substrate, a light absorption layer formed on the substrate, a clad layer formed on the light absorption layer, an active region formed in the clad layer, a guard ring region formed around the active region, and an insulating region formed between the guard ring region and the active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jae-Sik Sim, Kisoo Kim, Bongki Mheen, MyoungSook Oh, Yong-Hwan Kwon, Eun Soo Nam
  • Patent number: 8710605
    Abstract: A magnetic memory according to an embodiment includes: at least one memory cell comprising a magnetoresistive element as a memory element, and first and second electrodes that energize the magnetoresistive element. The magnetoresistive element includes: a first magnetic layer having a variable magnetization direction perpendicular to a film plane; a tunnel barrier layer on the first magnetic layer; and a second magnetic layer on the tunnel barrier layer, and having a fixed magnetization direction perpendicular to the film plane. The first magnetic layer including: a first region; and a second region outside the first region so as to surround the first region, and having a smaller perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy than that of the first region. The second magnetic layer including: a third region; and a fourth region outside the third region, and having a smaller perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy than that of the third region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shigeki Takahashi, Yuichi Ohsawa, Junichi Ito, Chikayoshi Kamata, Saori Kashiwada, Minoru Amano, Hiroaki Yoda
  • Patent number: 8709888
    Abstract: A method of forming a hybrid semiconductor structure on an SOI substrate. The method includes an integrated process flow to form a nanowire mesh device and a PDSOI device on the same SOI substrate. Also included is a semiconductor structure which includes the nanowire mesh device and the PDSOI device on the same SOI substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Leland Chang, Chung-Hsun Lin, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 8704293
    Abstract: A three-dimensional semiconductor device includes a stacked structure including a plurality of conductive layers stacked on a substrate, a distance along a first direction between sidewalls of an upper conductive layer and a lower conductive layer being smaller than a distance along a second direction between sidewalls of the upper conductive layer and the lower conductive layer, the first and second directions crossing each other and defining a plane parallel to a surface supporting the substrate, and vertical channel structures penetrating the stacked structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Yong Park, Jintaek Park
  • Patent number: 8704333
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system with first means for forming a chamber adjacent to a component formed on a substrate and a single orifice between the chamber and a first surface of the first means that is opposite a second surface of the first means adjacent to the substrate and second means for enclosing the chamber on at least a portion of the first surface that encompasses the single orifice are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Andrew Phillips, Jeremy H. Donaldson, Julie J. Cox, Mark H. MacKenzie, Christopher A. Leonard
  • Patent number: 8697512
    Abstract: Systems and methods for integrated circuits comprising multiple body biasing domains. In accordance with a first embodiment, a semiconductor structure comprises a substrate of first type material. A first closed structure comprising walls of second type material extends from a surface of the substrate to a first depth. A planar deep well of said second type material underlying and coupled to the closed structure extends from the first depth to a second depth. The closed structure and the planar deep well of said second type material form an electrically isolated region of the first type material. A second-type semiconductor device is disposed to receive a first body biasing voltage from the electrically isolated region of the first type material. A well of the second-type material within the electrically isolated region of the first type material is formed and a first-type semiconductor device is disposed to receive a second body biasing voltage from the well of second-type material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Inventors: Kleanthes G. Koniaris, Robert Paul Masleid, James B. Burr
  • Patent number: 8692284
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a manufacturing method of an interposer including: providing a semiconductor substrate having a first surface, a second surface and at least a through hole connecting the first surface to the second surface; electrocoating a polymer layer on the first surface, the second surface and an inner wall of the through hole; and forming a wiring layer on the electrocoating polymer layer, wherein the wiring layer extends from the first surface to the second surface via the inner wall of the through hole. Another embodiment of the present invention provides an interposer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventors: Ying-Nan Wen, Chien-Hung Liu, Wei-Chung Yang
  • Patent number: 8686562
    Abstract: According to one disclosed embodiment, an electrical contact for use on a semiconductor device comprises an electrode stack including a plurality of metal layers and a capping layer formed over the plurality of metal layers. The capping layer comprises a refractory metal nitride. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating an electrical contact for use on a semiconductor device comprises forming an electrode stack including a plurality of metal layers over the semiconductor device, and depositing a refractory metal nitride capping layer of the electrode stack over the plurality of metal layers. The method may further comprise annealing the electrode stack at a temperature of less than approximately 875° C. In some embodiments, the method may additionally include forming one of a Schottky metal layer and a gate insulator layer between the electrode stack and the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Sadiki Jordan
  • Patent number: 8686424
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a bipolar transistor, comprising providing a substrate (10) comprising a first isolation region (12) separated from a second isolation region by an active region (11) comprising a collector impurity; forming a layer stack over said substrate, said layer stack comprising a base layer (14, 14?), a silicon capping layer (15) over said base layer and a silicon-germanium (SiGe) base contact layer (40) over said silicon capping layer; etching the SiGe base contact layer to form an emitter window (50) over the collector impurity, wherein the silicon emitter cap layer is used as etch stop layer; forming sidewall spacers (22) in the emitter window; and filling the emitter window with an emitter material (24). A bipolar transistor manufactured in accordance with this method and an IC comprising one or more of such bipolar transistors are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: NXP, B.V.
    Inventors: Evelyne Gridelet, Johannes Josephus Theodorus Marinus Donkers, Tony Vanhoucke, Petrus Hubertus Cornelis Magnee, Hans Mertens, Blandine Duriez
  • Patent number: 8686506
    Abstract: A CMOS chip comprising a high performance device region and a high density device region includes a plurality of high performance devices comprising n-type field effect transistors (NFETs) and p-type field effect transistors (PFETs) in the high performance device region, wherein the high performance devices have a high performance pitch; and a plurality of high density devices comprising NFETs and PFETs in the high density device region, wherein the high density devices have a high density pitch, and wherein the high performance pitch is about 2 to 3 times the high density pitch; wherein the high performance device region comprises doped source and drain regions, NFET gate regions having an elevated stress induced using stress memorization technique (SMT), gate silicide and source/drain silicide regions, and a dual stressed liner, and wherein the high density device region comprises doped source and drain regions, gate silicide regions, and a neutral stressed liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leland Chang, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey Sleight
  • Patent number: 8674419
    Abstract: The semiconductor integrated circuit device employs on the same silicon substrate a plurality of kinds of MOS transistors with different magnitudes of tunnel current flowing either between the source and gate or between the drain and gate thereof. These MOS transistors include tunnel-current increased MOS transistors at least one of which is for use in constituting a main circuit of the device. The plurality of kinds of MOS transistors also include tunnel-current reduced or depleted MOS transistors at least one of which is for use with a control circuit. This control circuit is inserted between the main circuit and at least one of the two power supply units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomu Matsuzaki, Hiroyuki Mizuno, Masashi Horiguchi
  • Patent number: 8637866
    Abstract: A thin film transistor includes, as a buffer layer, a semiconductor layer which contains nitrogen and includes crystal regions in an amorphous structure between a gate insulating layer and source and drain regions, at least on the source and drain regions side. As compared to a thin film transistor in which an amorphous semiconductor is included in a channel formation region, on-current of a thin film transistor can be increased. In addition, as compared to a thin film transistor in which a microcrystalline semiconductor is included in a channel formation region, off-current of a thin film transistor can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Isa, Yasuhiro Jinbo, Sachiaki Tezuka, Koji Dairiki, Hidekazu Miyairi, Shunpei Yamazaki, Takuya Hirohashi
  • Patent number: 8637362
    Abstract: A memory array with data/bit lines extending generally in a first direction formed in an upper surface of a substrate and access transistors extending generally upward and aligned generally atop a corresponding data/bit line. The access transistors have a pillar extending generally upward with a source region formed so as to be in electrical communication with the corresponding data/bit line and a drain region formed generally at an upper portion of the pillar and a surround gate structure substantially completely encompassing the pillar in lateral directions and extending substantially the entire vertical extent of the pillar and word lines extending generally in a second direction and in electrical contact with a corresponding surround gate structure at at least a first surface thereof such that bias voltage applied to a given word line is communicated substantially uniformly in a laterally symmetric extent about the corresponding pillar via the surround gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Forbes