Patents Examined by Farun Lu
  • Patent number: 11682712
    Abstract: A method for making a semiconductor device may include forming a semiconductor layer, and forming a superlattice adjacent the semiconductor layer and including stacked groups of layers. Each group of layers may include stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one oxygen monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions. The at least one oxygen monolayer of a given group of layers may comprise an atomic percentage of 18O greater than 10 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: ATOMERA INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Marek Hytha, Nyles Wynn Cody, Keith Doran Weeks
  • Patent number: 11676965
    Abstract: Fabrication techniques for NMOS and PMOS nanowires leveraging an isolated process flow for NMOS and PMOS nanowires facilitates independent (decoupled) tuning/variation of the respective geometries (i.e., sizing) and chemical composition of NMOS and PMOS nanowires existing in the same process. These independently tunable degrees of freedom are achieved due to fabrication techniques disclosed herein, which enable the ability to individually adjust the width of NMOS and PMOS nanowires as well as the general composition of the material forming these nanowires independently of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen M. Cea, Tahir Ghani, Anand S. Murthy, Biswajeet Guha
  • Patent number: 11670595
    Abstract: An interconnection structure, along with methods of forming such, are described. The structure includes a first conductive feature having a two-dimensional material layer, a second conductive feature disposed over the first conductive feature, and a dielectric material disposed adjacent the first and second conductive features. The dielectric material extends from a level of a bottom of the first conductive feature to a level of a top of the second conductive feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Chen Chan, Shu-Wei Li, Shin-Yi Yang, Ming-Han Lee, Shau-Lin Shue
  • Patent number: 11670547
    Abstract: A semiconductor arrangement is provided. The semiconductor arrangement includes a dielectric layer defining an opening, an adhesion layer in the opening, and a conductive layer in the opening over the adhesion layer. A material of the conductive layer is a same material as an adhesion material of the adhesion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Ting Tsai, Chung-Liang Cheng, Ching-Jing Wu, Chyi-Tsong Ni
  • Patent number: 11670581
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor structure includes a source/drain (S/D) feature formed in an interlayer dielectric layer (ILD), a S/D contact via electrically connected to the S/D feature, a metal feature formed over the S/D contact via, and a metal line formed over the metal feature and electrically connected to the S/D contact via. The metal line is formed of a material different from that of the S/D contact via, and the S/D contact via is spaced apart from the metal line. By providing the metal feature, electromigration between the metal line and the contact via may be advantageously reduced or substantially eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Lin-Yu Huang, Li-Zhen Yu, Chia-Hao Chang, Cheng-Chi Chuang, Kuan-Lun Cheng, Chih-Hao Wang
  • Patent number: 11658215
    Abstract: A method according to the present disclosure includes receiving a workpiece that includes a first gate structure including a first cap layer thereon, a first source/drain contact adjacent the first gate structure, a second gate structure including a second cap layer thereon, a second source/drain contact, an etch stop layer (ESL) over the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact, and a first dielectric layer over the ESL. The method further includes forming a butted contact opening to expose the first cap layer and the first source/drain contact, forming a butted contact in the butted contact opening, after the forming of the butted contact, depositing a second dielectric layer, forming a source/drain contact via opening through the second dielectric layer, the ESL layer, and the first dielectric layer to expose the second source/drain contact, and forming a source/drain contact via in the source/drain contact via opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Fu-Hsiang Su, Yi-Hsien Chen
  • Patent number: 11658220
    Abstract: A semiconductor transistor device includes a channel structure, a gate structure, a first source/drain epitaxial structure, a second source/drain epitaxial structure, a gate contact, and a back-side source/drain contact. The gate structure wraps around the channel structure. The first source/drain epitaxial structure and the second source/drain epitaxial structure are disposed on opposite endings of the channel structure. The gate contact is disposed on the gate structure. The back-side source/drain contact is disposed under the first source/drain epitaxial structure. The second source/drain epitaxial structure has a concave bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Huan-Chieh Su, Cheng-Chi Chuang, Chih-Hao Wang, Kuo-Cheng Chiang
  • Patent number: 11658222
    Abstract: An embodiment includes an apparatus comprising: a substrate; a thin film transistor (TFT) comprising: source, drain, and gate contacts; a semiconductor material, comprising a channel, between the substrate and the gate contact; a gate dielectric layer between the gate contact and the channel; and an additional layer between the channel and the substrate; wherein (a)(i) the channel includes carriers selected from the group consisting of hole carriers or electron carriers, (a)(ii) the additional layer includes an insulator material that includes charged particles having a polarity equal to a polarity of the carriers. Other embodiments are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Abhishek A. Sharma, Van H. Le, Jack T. Kavalieros, Tahir Ghani, Gilbert Dewey, Shriram Shivaraman, Sean T. Ma, Benjamin Chu-Kung
  • Patent number: 11658112
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a fabrication method are provided. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; a gate structure on the substrate and extending along a first direction; source/drain doped layers in the substrate at sides of the gate structure; a first conductive structure on the source/drain doped layers; an opening at a top of the gate structure and the first conductive structure; and a second conductive structure in the opening. The opening extends along a second direction and the second direction is different from the first direction. The second conductive structure is insulated from the first conductive structure and in contact with the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (BEIJING) CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nan Wang
  • Patent number: 11652149
    Abstract: A method according to the present disclosure includes receiving a workpiece including a gate structure, a first source/drain (S/D) feature, a second S/D feature, a first dielectric layer over the gate structure, the first S/D feature, the second S/D feature, a first S/D contact over the first S/D feature, a second S/D contact over the second S/D feature, a first etch stop layer (ESL) over the first dielectric layer, and a second dielectric layer over the first ESL, forming a S/D contact via through the second dielectric layer and the first ESL to couple to the first S/D contact, forming a gate contact opening through the second dielectric layer, the first ESL, and the first dielectric layer to expose the gate structure, and forming a common rail opening adjoining the gate contact opening to expose the second S/D contact, and forming a common rail contact in the common rail opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng-Wei Chang, Hong-Ming Wu, Chen-Yuan Kao, Li-Hsiang Chao, Yi-Ying Liu
  • Patent number: 11646271
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to arrangements of one or more “cuts” or pattern of cuts in conductive structures. Wiring layers may each include a cut pattern including a set of cuts through conductive structures of the wiring layers where each of the cuts is offset from the other in a direction orthogonal to the cut. The cut pattern in a wiring layer may be orthogonal to the cut pattern in another wiring layer. In some examples, the cut pattern may be a stair-step pattern. In some examples, the cut pattern may be interrupted by other conductive structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Matsumoto, Ryota Suzuki, Mitsuki Koda, Makoto Sato
  • Patent number: 11637018
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a semiconductor device with a diffusion barrier layer on source/drain (S/D) contact structures and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device. The method of fabricating the semiconductor device includes forming a S/D region on a fin structure, forming a S/D contact structure including a metal on the S/D region, forming a barrier layer including silicon and the metal on the S/D contact structure, and forming a via contact structure on the barrier layer. The barrier layer blocks a diffusion of the metal in the S/D contact structure to the via contact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsinhsiang Tseng, Chi-Ruei Yeh, Tsung-Yu Chiang
  • Patent number: 11637038
    Abstract: A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers having stepped surfaces, memory stack structures extending through the alternating stack, a retro-stepped dielectric material portion overlying the stepped surfaces, and pillar-shaped contact-opening assemblies located within a respective pillar-shaped volume vertically extending through the retro-stepped dielectric material portion and a region of the alternating stack that underlies the retro-stepped dielectric material portion. Some of the pillar-shaped contact-opening assemblies can include a first conductive plug that laterally contacts a cylindrical sidewall of a respective one of the electrically conductive layers and a conductive via structure that contacts a top surface of the first conductive plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Fumitaka Amano, Yuji Totoki, Shunsuke Takuma
  • Patent number: 11637069
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including: an active region; first, second and third metal-to-drain/source (MD) contact structures which extend in a first direction and correspondingly overlap the active region; a via-to-via (V2V) rail which extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and overlaps the first, second and third MD contact structures; a first conductive segment which overlaps the V2V rail, is in a first metallization layer, and, relative to the second direction, overlaps each of the first, second and third MD contact structures; and a first via-to-MD (VD) structure between the first MD contact structure and the first conductive segment, the first VD structure electrically coupling the first conductive segment, the V2V rail and the first MD contact structure; wherein at least one of the second or third MD contact structures is electrically decoupled from the V2V rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jung-Chan Yang, Chi-Yu Lu, Hui-Zhong Zhuang, Chih-Liang Chen
  • Patent number: 11631804
    Abstract: A perpendicular magnetization type three-terminal SOT-MRAM that does not need an external magnetic field is provided. A magnetoresistance effect element where a first magnetic layer/nonmagnetic spacer layer/recording layer are disposed in order, and the first magnetic layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer are provided to a channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Saito, Shoji Ikeda, Hideo Sato, Tetsuo Endoh
  • Patent number: 11631743
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a forming method of a semiconductor structure are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignees: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (BEIJING) CORPORATION
    Inventors: Abraham Yoo, Jisong Jin
  • Patent number: 11626497
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a forming method thereof are provided. In one form, a semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; discrete channel structures on the substrate in device regions; a power rail line, located in the substrate of a power rail region; a gate structure, extending across the channel structures; source/drain doped regions, located in the channel structures on two sides of the gate structure; an interlayer dielectric layer, located at a side portion of the gate structure; a power rail contact plug, penetrating a partial thickness of the interlayer dielectric layer at a top of the power rail line, where the power rail contact plug is in full contact with a top surface of the power rail line in a longitudinal direction; and a source/drain contact layer, located in the interlayer dielectric layer and in contact with the source/drain doped region, where on a projection surface parallel to the substrate, the source/drain contact layer extends across the power rail line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignees: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (BEIJING) CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jisong Jin, Subhash Kuchanuri, Abraham Yoo
  • Patent number: 11621191
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, initial connection patterns are prepared, initial cutting patterns for cutting the initial connection patterns are prepared, non-functional connection patterns at least from the initial connection patterns are identified, final cutting patterns are prepared from the initial cutting patterns and the non-functional connection patterns, a photo mask is prepared from the final cutting patterns, a photo resist pattern is formed over a target layer by a lithography operation using the photo mask, the target layer is patterned to form openings in the target layer by using the photo resist pattern, and connection layers are formed by filling the openings with a conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuan-Yen Lo, Chia-Cheng Chang, Ming-Jhih Kuo, Chien-Yuan Chen
  • Patent number: 11621332
    Abstract: An approach to form a semiconductor structure with a buried power rail. The semiconductor structure includes a buried power rail in a semiconductor substrate where a buried contact contacts to a first portion of a top surface of the buried power rail to a source/drain of a semiconductor device. Additionally, the semiconductor structure includes a first portion of a top surface of the buried contact that is below a top surface of the source/drain of the semiconductor device and a portion of a bottom surface of the buried contact that is in a cavity formed in the source/drain of the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Veeraraghavan S. Basker, Alexander Reznicek, Junli Wang
  • Patent number: 11621334
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a fin including silicon. A gate structure is over the fin, the gate structure having a center. A conductive source trench contact is over the fin, the conductive source trench contact having a center spaced apart from the center of the gate structure by a first distance. A conductive drain trench contact is over the fin, the conductive drain trench contact having a center spaced apart from the center of the gate structure by a second distance, the second distance greater than the first distance by a factor of three.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Said Rami, Hyung-Jin Lee, Surej Ravikumar, Kinyip Phoa