Patents Examined by Farun Lu
  • Patent number: 12183632
    Abstract: A method includes forming a metallic feature, forming an etch stop layer over the metallic feature, implanting the metallic feature with a dopant, forming a dielectric layer over the etch stop layer, performing a first etching process to etch the dielectric layer and the etch stop layer to form a first opening, performing a second etching process to etch the metallic feature and to form a second opening in the metallic feature, wherein the second opening is joined with the first opening, and filling the first opening and the second opening with a metallic material to form a contact plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Meng-Han Chou, Su-Hao Liu, Kuo-Ju Chen, Liang-Yin Chen, Huicheng Chang, Yee-Chia Yeo
  • Patent number: 12171096
    Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises a base structure, a memory array overlying the base structure, and a conductive pad tier overlying the memory array. The base structure comprises a logic region including logic devices. The memory array comprises vertically extending strings of memory cells within a horizontal area of the logic region of the base structure. The conductive pad tier comprises first conductive pads substantially outside of the horizontal area of the logic region of the base structure, and second conductive pads horizontally neighboring the first conductive pads and within the horizontal area of the logic region of the base structure. Memory devices and electronic systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Erwin E. Yu, Michele Piccardi, Surendranath C. Eruvuru
  • Patent number: 12166088
    Abstract: A method according to the present disclosure includes receiving a workpiece that includes a gate structure, a first gate spacer feature, a second gate spacer feature, a gate-top dielectric feature over the gate structure, the first gate spacer feature and the second gate spacer feature, a first source/drain feature over a first source/drain region, a second source/drain feature over a second source/drain region, a first dielectric layer over the first source/drain feature, and a second dielectric layer over the second source/drain feature. The method further includes replacing a top portion of the first dielectric layer with a first hard mask layer, forming a second hard mask layer over the first hard mask layer while the second dielectric layer is exposed, etching the second dielectric layer to form a source/drain contact opening and to expose the second source/drain feature, and forming a source/drain contact over the second source/drain feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ting Fang, Chung-Hao Cai, Jui-Ping Lin, Chia-Hsien Yao, Chen-Ming Lee, Fu-Kai Yang, Mei-Yun Wang
  • Patent number: 12166151
    Abstract: A light-emitting device, including: a semiconductor stack generating a first light; and a filter formed on the semiconductor stack, including a first surface facing the semiconductor stack and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a transparent conductive layer formed on the semiconductor stack; wherein: the filter includes a plurality of first dielectric layers with a first refractive index and a plurality of second dielectric layers with a second refractive index alternately stacked, a portion of the first light is transmitted by the filter and extracted from the second surface, the light-emitting device has a beam angle in a range of 50 degrees to 110 degrees, and the filter comprises a light transmittance of more than 90% with respect to light incident at an incident angle in a range less than 10 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: EPISTAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Heng-Ying Cho, Li-Yu Shen, Yu-Yi Hung, Chen Ou, Li-Ming Chang
  • Patent number: 12160999
    Abstract: An object is to provide a semiconductor device with a novel structure in which stored data can be held even when power is not supplied and there is no limit on the number of write operations. The semiconductor device includes a first memory cell including a first transistor and a second transistor, a second memory cell including a third transistor and a fourth transistor, and a driver circuit. The first transistor and the second transistor overlap at least partly with each other. The third transistor and the fourth transistor overlap at least partly with each other. The second memory cell is provided over the first memory cell. The first transistor includes a first semiconductor material. The second transistor, the third transistor, and the fourth transistor include a second semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Kato
  • Patent number: 12154786
    Abstract: A method for modifying a strain state of at least one semiconductor layer includes providing a support over which is arranged at least one stack of layers including the semiconductor layer and a fusible layer, arranged between the semiconductor layer and the support. The method also includes melting at least one portion of the fusible layer including the passage of said at least one portion of the fusible layer from a solid state into a liquid state, the semiconductor layer remaining in the solid state during the melting step. A laser beam may be used for the melting. The melting with the laser beam may also cause the modification of the strain state of the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Shay Reboh, Pablo Acosta Alba
  • Patent number: 12150349
    Abstract: An organic light-emitting display device includes a substrate having a display area surrounding a through area, and a peripheral area between the through and display areas, a light-emitting element on the display area, a first dam on the peripheral area and surrounding the through area, a first protruding pattern on the first dam and protruding toward the display area from the first dam to define an undercut region, a boundary portion extending from the display area toward the first dam, the boundary portion being spaced apart from the first dam to define a first receiving space therebetween, and an encapsulation layer continuously extending from the display area to the peripheral area, the encapsulation layer including at least one organic layer with a first filling portion filling at least part of the first receiving space and protruding toward the first dam to be aligned with the undercut region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyoungsub Lee, Sooyoun Kim, Wooyong Sung
  • Patent number: 12148696
    Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a first low-k dielectric layer having a first k value, and a second low-k dielectric layer having a second k value lower than the first k value. The second low-k dielectric layer is overlying the first low-k dielectric layer. A dual damascene structure includes a via with a portion in the first low-k dielectric layer, and a metal line over and joined to the via. The metal line includes a portion in the second low-k dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chao-Chun Wang, Chung-Chi Ko, Po-Cheng Shih
  • Patent number: 12142683
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes semiconductor wires or sheets disposed over a substrate, a source/drain epitaxial layer in contact with the semiconductor wires or sheets, a gate dielectric layer disposed on and wrapping around each channel region of the semiconductor wires or sheets, a gate electrode layer disposed on the gate dielectric layer and wrapping around each channel region, and insulating spacers disposed in spaces, respectively. The spaces are defined by adjacent semiconductor wires or sheets, the gate electrode layer and the source/drain region. The source/drain epitaxial layer includes multiple doped SiGe layers having different Ge contents and at least one of the source/drain epitaxial layers is non-doped SiGe or Si.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shahaji B. More, Shih-Chieh Chang, Cheng-Han Lee, Pei-Shan Lee
  • Patent number: 12142520
    Abstract: Middle-of-line (MOL) interconnects that facilitate reduced capacitance and/or resistance and corresponding techniques for forming the MOL interconnects are disclosed herein. An exemplary MOL interconnect structure includes a device-level contact disposed in a first insulator layer and a ruthenium structure disposed in a second insulator layer disposed over the first insulator layer. The device-level contact physically contacts an integrated circuit feature, and the ruthenium structure physically contacts the device-level contact. An air gap separates sidewalls of the ruthenium structure from the second insulator layer. A top surface of the ruthenium structure is lower than a top surface of the second insulator layer. A via disposed in a third insulator layer extends below the top surface of the second insulator layer to physically contact the ruthenium structure. A remainder of a dummy contact spacer layer may separate the first insulator layer and the second insulator layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yi-Nien Su, Jyu-Horng Shieh
  • Patent number: 12142682
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a gate dielectric layer is formed over a channel region, a first conductive layer is formed over the gate dielectric layer, a shield layer is formed over the first conductive layer forming a bilayer structure, a capping layer is formed over the shield layer, a first annealing operation is performed after the capping layer is formed, the capping layer is removed after the first annealing operation, and a gate electrode layer is formed after the capping layer is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chandrashekhar Prakash Savant, Kin Shun Chong, Tien-Wei Yu, Chia-Ming Tsai, Ming-Te Chen
  • Patent number: 12137582
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a display panel and a display device. The display panel includes: a base substrate, a light-emitting device located on the base substrate, a first flat layer located on a side of the light-emitting device away from the base substrate, and a black matrix located on a side of the first flat layer away from the base substrate, wherein the black matrix has a plurality of opening regions, and color filters are arranged in corresponding opening regions; the color filters are configured to filter external incident light; and the first flat layer has a plurality of first concave faces arranged corresponding to the opening regions, the color filters fill the first concave faces, and the color filters further cover peripheral regions of the first concave faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignees: Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiali Wang, Chienpang Huang, Qiaoqiao Ru, Chuntong Jiang, Yanqiang Wang, Fei Fang, Yuanzheng Guo, Peng Hou, Chao Yang, Jie Li
  • Patent number: 12133405
    Abstract: A display device includes a substrate including a folding area and a non-folding area disposed adjacent to the folding area; and a pixel electrode disposed on the substrate, wherein the pixel electrode includes a first pixel electrode disposed in the folding area and a second pixel electrode disposed in the non-folding area, and the first pixel electrode includes one or more openings positioned inside from an outermost edge of the first pixel electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Su Yeon Yun
  • Patent number: 12125792
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device, includes forming an active region; forming first, second and third metal-to-drain/source (MD) contact structures which extend in a first direction, and correspondingly overlap and electrically couple to the active region; forming a via-to-via (V2V) rail which extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, overlaps at least the first MD contact structure and the third MD contact structures; forming a first via-to-MD (VD) structure over, and electrically coupled to, the first MD contact structure and the V2V rail; and forming a first conductive segment which overlaps the V2V rail, is in a first metallization layer, and is electrically coupled to the first VD structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jung-Chan Yang, Chi-Yu Lu, Hui-Zhong Zhuang, Chih-Liang Chen
  • Patent number: 12119393
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes forming a fin structure from a bulk semiconductor substrate and forming an isolation region contacting a lower portion of a sidewall of the fin structure, wherein an upper portion of the sidewall of the fin structure is exposed. A sacrificial spacer is formed on the upper portion of the sidewall of the fin structure. The isolation regions are recessed to provide an exposed section of the sidewall of the fin structure. A doped semiconductor material is formed on the exposed section of the lower portion of the sidewall of the fin structure. Dopant is diffused from the doped semiconductor material to a base portion of the fin structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Adeia Semiconductor Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Veeraraghavan S. Basker, Zuoguang Liu, Tenko Yamashita, Chun-Chen Yeh
  • Patent number: 12119224
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a nanowire structure, which includes a substrate with a substrate body and an ion implantation region, a patterned mask with an opening over the substrate, and a nanowire. Herein, the substrate body is formed of a conducting material, and the ion implantation region that extends from a top surface of the substrate body into the substrate body is electrically insulating. A surface portion of the substrate body is exposed through the opening of the patterned mask, while the ion implantation region is fully covered by the patterned mask. The nanowire is directly formed over the exposed surface portion of the substrate body and is not in contact with the ion implantation region. Furthermore, the nanowire is confined within the ion implantation region, such that the ion implantation region is configured to provide a conductivity barrier of the nanowire in the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey C. Gardner, Sergei V. Gronin, Raymond L. Kallaher, Michael James Manfra
  • Patent number: 12107164
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate structure on a substrate and an epitaxial layer adjacent to the gate structure, in which the epitaxial layer includes a first buffer layer, a second buffer layer on the first buffer layer, a bulk layer on the second buffer layer, a first cap layer on the bulk layer, and a second cap layer on the first cap layer. Preferably, the bottom surface of the first buffer layer includes a linear surface, a bottom surface of the second buffer layer includes a curve, and the second buffer layer includes a linear sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Chia-Jhe Hsu, Che-Yi Ho
  • Patent number: 12100644
    Abstract: An intermetal dielectric and metal layers embedded in the intermetal dielectric are arranged on a substrate of semiconductor material. A via hole is formed in the substrate, and a metallization contacting a contact area of one of the metal layers is applied in the via hole. The metallization, the metal layer comprising the contact area and the intermetal dielectric are partially removed at the bottom of the via hole in order to form a hole penetrating the intermetal dielectric and extending the via hole. A continuous passivation is arranged on sidewalls within the via hole and the hole, and the metallization contacts the contact area around the hole. Thus the presence of a thin membrane of layers, which is usually formed at the bottom of a hollow through-substrate via, is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventors: Bernhard Loeffler, Thomas Bodner, Joerg Siegert
  • Patent number: 12100744
    Abstract: A method is presented for forming a wrap around contact. The method includes forming a p-type epitaxial region and an n-type epitaxial region over a substrate, forming a dielectric pillar between the p-type epitaxial region and the n-type epitaxial region, depositing sacrificial liners around both the p-type epitaxial region and the n-type epitaxial region, and depositing an inter-layer dielectric (ILD). The method further includes forming trenches in the ILD extending into the sacrificial liners, wherein the trenches are vertically aligned with the p-type epitaxial region and the n-type epitaxial region, removing the sacrificial liners to define irregular-shaped openings exposing the p-type epitaxial region and the n-type epitaxial region, and filling the irregular-shaped openings with a conductive material defining the wrap around contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Veeraraghavan S. Basker, Andrew Greene, Alexander Reznicek, Yao Yao
  • Patent number: 12101967
    Abstract: A display device may include a substrate, a first transistor disposed on the substrate and including a first gate electrode, a first conductive pattern disposed on the first gate electrode such that the first conductive pattern and the first gate electrode constitute a first capacitor, a second conductive pattern disposed on the first capacitor, a third conductive pattern disposed on the second conductive pattern such that the third conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern constitute a second capacitor, and a light emitting structure disposed on the second capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keunwoo Kim, Meejae Kang, Thanh Tien Nguyen, Hyena Kwak, Jaehwan Chu