Patents Examined by Fang-Xing Jiang
  • Patent number: 10026671
    Abstract: An embodiment device package includes first die and one or more redistribution layers (RDLs) electrically connected to the first die. The one or more RDLs extend laterally past edges of the first die. The device package further includes one or more second dies bonded to a first surface of the one or more RDLs and a connector element on the first surface of the one or more RDLs. The connector element has a vertical dimension greater than the one or more second dies. A package substrate is bonded to the one or more RDLs using the connector element, wherein the one or more second dies is disposed between the first die and the package substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Hua Yu, Mirng-Ji Lii, Chien-Hsun Lee, Tsung-Ding Wang, Jung Wei Cheng, Ming-Che Liu, Hao-Cheng Hou, Hung-Jen Lin
  • Patent number: 9935090
    Abstract: An embodiment device includes a first die, a first molding compound extending along sidewalls of the first die, and one or more first redistribution layers (RDLs) on the first die and the first molding compound. The device further includes a device package comprising a plurality of second dies, wherein the device package is bonded to an opposing surface of the one or more first RDLs as the first die and the first molding compound. A package substrate is bonded to the opposing surface of the one or more first RDLs. The package substrate is electrically connected to the first die and the plurality of second dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Hua Yu, Jung Wei Cheng, Tsung-Ding Wang, Chien-Hsun Lee
  • Patent number: 9911856
    Abstract: One of objects is to provide a semiconductor device with stable electric characteristics, in which an oxide semiconductor is used. The semiconductor device includes a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, and a silicon oxide layer over the thin film transistor. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode layer, a gate insulating layer whose thickness is equal to or larger than 100 nm and equal to or smaller than 350 nm, the oxide semiconductor layer, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer. In the thin film transistor, the difference of the threshold voltage value is 1 V or less between before and after performance of a measurement in which the voltage of 30 V or ?30 V is applied to the gate electrode layer at a temperature of 85° C. for 12 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Akiharu Miyanaga, Masahiro Takahashi, Hideyuki Kishida, Junichiro Sakata
  • Patent number: 9905679
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a bipolar transistor and a method of making the same. The bipolar transistor includes a collector having a laterally extending drift region. The bipolar transistor also includes a base located above the collector. The bipolar transistor further includes an emitter located above the base. The bipolar transistor also includes a reduced surface field (RESURF) gate located above an upper surface of the laterally extending drift region for shaping an electric field within the collector. The bipolar transistor further includes a gap located between the reduced surface field gate and an extrinsic region of the base of the device, for electrically isolating the reduced surface field gate from the base. A lateral dimension Lgap of the gap is in the range 0.1 ?m?Lgap?1.0 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Petrus Hubertus Cornelis Magnee, Joost Melai, Viet Thanh Dinh, Tony Vanhoucke
  • Patent number: 9881914
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device is disclosed including at least an NPN transistor and a PNP transistor coupled between a first node and a second node, wherein the ESD protection device may be configured to sink current from the first node to the second node in response to an ESD event. The transistors may be coupled such that a collector of the NPN may be coupled to the first node. A collector of the PNP may be coupled to the second node. A base of the NPN may be coupled to the emitter of the PNP. An emitter of the NPN may be coupled to a base of the PNP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: SOFICS BVBA
    Inventors: Bart Sorgeloos, Benjamin Van Camp, Sven Van Wijmeersch, Wim Vanhouteghem
  • Patent number: 9881885
    Abstract: A device includes a substrate, a metal pad over the substrate, and a metal trace electrically disconnected from the metal pad. The metal pad and the metal trace are level with each other. A passivation layer includes a portion overlapping an edge portion of the metal pad. A metal pillar is overlying the metal pad, and is electrically connected to the metal pad. The metal trace has a portion overlapped by the metal pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Cheng Kuo, Chita Chuang, Chih-Hua Chen, Chen-Shien Chen, Yao-Chun Chuang
  • Patent number: 9882032
    Abstract: A method includes forming isolation features on a substrate, thereby defining an active region on the semiconductor substrate; recessing the active region to form a fin trench; forming a fin feature on the fin trench by growing a first semiconductor layer on the substrate and a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer; performing a first recessing process; forming a dummy gate stack over the fin feature and the isolation feature; performing a thermal oxidation process to selectively oxidize the first semiconductor layer to form a semiconductor oxide feature on sidewalls of the first semiconductor layer; performing a second recessing process such that a portion of the isolation feature is recessed to below the second semiconductor layer, resulting in a dented void overlying the semiconductor oxide feature and underlying the second semiconductor layer; and forming a gate stack including a gate dielectric layer extending to the dented void.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD
    Inventors: Kuo-Cheng Ching, Chih-Hao Wang, Zhiqiang Wu, Carlos H Diaz
  • Patent number: 9859372
    Abstract: A semiconductor device may include the following elements: a first doped portion; a second doped portion; an enclosing member, which encloses both the first doped portion and the second doped portion; a first barrier, which directly contacts the first doped portion; a second barrier, which directly contacts the second doped portion; a dielectric member, which is positioned between the first barrier and the second barrier and directly contacts each of the first barrier and the second barrier; a third barrier, which directly contacts the first doped portion; and a device component, wherein a portion of the device component is positioned between the dielectric member and the third barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION
    Inventors: Li Liu, Xianyong Pu, Guangli Yang, Gangning Wang, ChiChung Tai, Hong Sun
  • Patent number: 9859462
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a silicon substrate, an aluminum nitride layer and a plurality of grading stress buffer layers. The aluminum nitride layer is disposed on the silicon substrate. The grading stress buffer layers are disposed on the aluminum nitride layer. Each grading stress buffer layer includes a grading layer and a transition layer stacked up sequentially. A chemical formula of the grading layer is Al1-xGaxN, wherein the x value is increased from one side near the silicon substrate to a side away from the silicon substrate, and 0?x?1. A chemical formula of the transition layer is the same as the chemical formula of a side surface of the grading layer away from the silicon substrate. The chemical formula of the transition layer of the grading stress buffer layer furthest from the silicon substrate is GaN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Genesis Photonics Inc.
    Inventors: Chi-Feng Huang, Sheng-Han Tu
  • Patent number: 9853541
    Abstract: A switched-capacitor DC-to-DC converter includes a logic cell and a capacitor cell vertically overlapping with the logic cell. The logic cell has a plurality of active elements disposed over a first substrate. The capacitor cell has a capacitor over a second substrate. A first interlayer insulation layer disposed over the first substrate is bonded to a second interlayer insulation layer disposed over the second substrate. A first through via connected to any one of interconnection patterns of the logic cell and a second through via connected to a lower electrode pattern of the capacitor cell are connected to each other through a first external circuit pattern. A third through via connected to an upper electrode pattern of the capacitor cell and a fourth through via connected to another one of the interconnection patterns of the logic cell are connected to each other through a second external circuit pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jae Ho Hwang
  • Patent number: 9837459
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device which allows an alignment mark used for the manufacturing of a solid-state image sensor (semiconductor device) having a back-side-illumination structure to be formed in a smaller number of steps. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer having a first main surface and a second main surface opposing the first main surface, a plurality of photodiodes which are formed in the semiconductor layer and in each of which photoelectric conversion is performed, a light receiving lens disposed over the second main surface of the semiconductor layer to supply light to each of the photodiodes, and a mark for alignment formed inside the semiconductor layer. The mark for alignment is formed so as to extend from the first main surface toward the second main surface and have a protruding portion protruding from the second main surface in a direction toward where the light receiving lens is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keiichiro Kashihara
  • Patent number: 9831394
    Abstract: An optoelectronic semiconductor component is provided, having a connection carrier (2), an optoelectronic semiconductor chip (1), which is arranged on a mounting face (22) of the connection carrier (2), and a radiation-transmissive body (3), which surrounds the semiconductor chip (1), wherein the radiation-transmissive body (3) contains a silicone, the radiation-transmissive body (3) has at least one side face (31) which extends at least in places at an angle ? of <90° to the mounting face (22) and the side face (3) is produced by a singulation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Binder, Alexander Linkov, Thomas Zeiler, Peter Brick
  • Patent number: 9831140
    Abstract: A wafer including a substrate having a plurality of integrated circuits formed above the substrate, and at least one scribe line between two of the integrated circuits. The wafer further includes a plurality of dielectric layers formed in the at least one scribe line having a process control monitor (PCM) pad structure formed therein, the PCM pad structure having: a plurality of metal pads interconnected by a plurality of conductive vias. The PCM pad further includes a plurality of contact bars in contact with a bottom-most metal pad, the contact bars extending substantially vertically from the bottom-most metal pad into the substrate. Additionally, the PCM pad includes an isolation structure substantially surrounding the plurality of contact bars to isolate the PCM pad structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ying-Ju Chen, Hsien-Wei Chen, Hao-Yi Tsai, Mirng-Ji Lii
  • Patent number: 9825046
    Abstract: A flash memory cell structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a pad dielectric layer, a floating gate, a control gate, and a blocking layer. The pad dielectric layer is disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The floating gate is disposed over the pad dielectric layer, in which the floating gate has a top surface opposite to the pad dielectric layer, and the top surface includes at least one recess formed thereon. The control gate is disposed over the top surface of the floating gate. The blocking layer is disposed between the floating gate and the control gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Chu Lin, Hung-Che Liao, Kun-Tsang Chuang, Shih-Lu Hsu
  • Patent number: 9818817
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor reduces the number of masks and processing steps compared to conventional techniques. A conductive redistribution layer (RDL) is patterned on a semiconductor chip. A MIM dielectric layer is deposited over the RDL. A first conductive layer of a MIM capacitor is deposited over the MIM dielectric layer. The MIM dielectric layer is patterned using a MIM conductive layer mask. The conductive redistribution layer includes two RDL nodes that extend under the first conductive layer of the MIM capacitor. A conductive via or bump extends through the MIM dielectric layer and couples one of the RDL nodes to the first conductive layer of the MIM capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: John J. Zhu, P R Chidambaram, Giridhar Nallapati, Choh fei Yeap
  • Patent number: 9799525
    Abstract: A semiconductor device may include the following elements: a first doped region; a second doped region, which contacts the first doped region; a third doped region, which contacts the first doped region; a first dielectric layer, which contacts the above-mentioned doped regions; a first gate member, which is conductive and comprises a first gate portion, a second gate portion, and a third gate portion, wherein the first gate portion contacts the first dielectric layer, wherein the second gate portion is positioned between the first gate portion and the third gate portion, and wherein a width of the second portion is unequal to a width of the third gate portion; a doped portion, which is positioned between the third gate portion and the third doped region; a second gate member; and a second dielectric layer, which is positioned between the third gate portion and the second gate member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (Shanghai) CORP.
    Inventors: Wenbo Wang, Hanming Wu
  • Patent number: 9793289
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory device includes a conductive layer, a first electrode layer provided side by side with the conductive layer in a first direction, a second electrode layer provided between the conductive layer and the first electrode. At least a part of the second electrode on the conductive layer side has a work function smaller than a work function of the first electrode. The device further includes a first channel body extending through the first electrode layer in the first direction and a charge storage portion provided between the first electrode layer and the first channel body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadayoshi Uechi, Masaki Kondo
  • Patent number: 9790088
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a MEMS structure includes providing a substrate comprising a logic element region and a MEMS region. Next, a logic element is formed within the logic element region. A nitrogen-containing material layer is formed to cover the logic element region and the MEMS region conformally. Then, part of the nitrogen-containing material layer within the MEMS region is removed to form at least one shrinking region. Subsequently, a dielectric layer is formed to cover the logic element region and MEMS region, and the dielectric layer fills in the shrinking region. After that, the dielectric layer is etched to form at least one releasing hole, wherein the shrinking region surrounds the releasing hole. Finally, the substrate is etched to form a chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Meng-Jia Lin, Yung-Hsiao Lee, Weng-Yi Chen, Shih-Wei Li, Chung-Hsien Liu
  • Patent number: 9786508
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides semiconductor devices and fabrication methods thereof. A work function layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate. A buffer layer is formed on the work function layer. The work function layer is doped through the buffer layer with impurity ions. The buffer layer obstructs a flow of the impurity ions to control a concentration of the impurity ions in different regions of the work function layer to regulate a work function of the work function layer in the different regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jie Zhao
  • Patent number: 9768054
    Abstract: High voltage devices and methods for forming thereof are disclosed. A high voltage device includes a substrate having a device region, where the device region includes a source region and a drain region defined thereon. A transistor is disposed on the device region. The transistor includes a gate disposed over the substrate and in between the source and drain regions. First and second device wells are disposed in the substrate within the device region. The first device well is adjacent to a second side of the gate and the second device well is adjacent to a first side of the gate. Isolation regions are disposed within the substrate. The isolation regions include a device isolation region surrounding the device region and one or more isolation fingers disposed in a first portion of the device region adjacent to the first side of the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Guowei Zhang