Patents Examined by Galina Yushina
  • Patent number: 9368597
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing the semiconductor devices are provided. The methods may include forming a sacrificial gate pattern on a substrate, forming a first spacer on a sidewall of the sacrificial gate pattern and forming a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer covering a sidewall of the first spacer and exposing a top surface of the first spacer. The first spacer may expose an upper portion of the sidewall of the sacrificial gate pattern. The methods may also include forming a capping insulating pattern covering top surfaces of the first spacer and the first ILD layer, replacing the sacrificial gate pattern with a gate electrode structure and patterning the capping insulating pattern to form a second spacer on the first spacer and between the gate electrode structure and the first ILD layer. The second spacer may be formed of a material having a dielectric constant higher than a dielectric constant of the first spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyungbum Koo, Seungjae Lee, Shinhye Kim, Zulkamain, Narae Oh, Jeong-Kyu Lee
  • Patent number: 9368545
    Abstract: A device includes a plurality of isolation spacers, and a plurality of bottom electrodes, wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of bottom electrodes are insulated from each other by respective ones of the plurality of isolation spacers. A plurality of photoelectrical conversion regions overlaps the plurality of bottom electrodes, wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of photoelectrical conversion regions are insulated from each other by respective ones of the plurality of isolation spacers. A top electrode overlies the plurality of photoelectrical conversion regions and the plurality of isolation spacers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yi-Shin Chu, Cheng-Tao Lin, Meng-Hsun Wan, Szu-Ying Chen, Jen-Cheng Liu, Dun-Nian Yaung
  • Patent number: 9362459
    Abstract: A composite high reflectivity mirror (CHRM) with at least one relatively smooth interior surface interface. The CHRM includes a composite portion, for example dielectric and metal layers, on a base element. At least one of the internal surfaces is polished to achieve a smooth interface. The polish can be performed on the surface of the base element, on various layers of the composite portion, or both. The resulting smooth interface(s) reflect more of the incident light in an intended direction. The CHRMs may be integrated into light emitting diode (LED) devices to increase optical output efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
    Inventors: Sten Heikman, Matthew Jacob-Mitos, Ting Li, James Ibbetson
  • Patent number: 9362411
    Abstract: An object is to suppress conducting-mode failures of a transistor that uses an oxide semiconductor film and has a short channel length. A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode 304, a gate insulating film 306 formed over the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film 308 over the gate insulating film, and a source electrode 310a and a drain electrode 310b formed over the oxide semiconductor film. The channel length L of the oxide semiconductor film is more than or equal to 1 ?m and less than or equal to 50 ?m. The oxide semiconductor film has a peak at a rotation angle 2? in the vicinity of 31° in X-ray diffraction measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Okazaki, Masatoshi Yokoyama, Masayuki Sakakura, Yukinori Shima, Yosuke Kanzaki, Hiroshi Matsukizono, Takuya Matsuo, Yoshitaka Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9349852
    Abstract: A design structure is embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing a design. The design structure includes a high-leakage dielectric formed over an active region of a FET and a low-leakage dielectric formed on the active region and adjacent the high-leakage dielectric. The low-leakage dielectric has a lower leakage than the high-leakage dielectric. Also provided is a structure and method of fabricating the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Andres Bryant, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 9348182
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate (5) is provided with mounting terminals (DT1), draw-out lines (22r) connecting the mounting terminals (DT1) and data bus lines (D), first common wires (24) connected in common to the plurality of data bus lines (D), and second thin-film transistors (second switching elements) (23a) connected between the draw-out lines (22r) and the first common wires (24). In the mounting terminals (DT1), upper-layer terminal electrodes (34) and lower-layer terminal electrodes (36a, 36b) are connected via terminal contact holes (H2a). The upper-layer terminal electrodes (34) are provided so as to cover at least portions of second thin-film transistors (26a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Yoshida, Isao Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 9349721
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising: a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor including: a semiconductor substrate including a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; second semiconductor layers of a second conductivity type extending in a depth direction from one surface of the semiconductor substrate, and having space each other; a first diode including a fifth semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type contacting the second semiconductor layer in one surface side of the semiconductor substrate, the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layers; and an anode of the second diode connected to an anode of the first diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Wataru Saito, Syotaro Ono, Toshiyuki Naka, Shunji Taniuchi, Hiroaki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9343362
    Abstract: Microelectronic devices with through-silicon vias and associated methods of manufacturing such devices. One embodiment of a method for forming tungsten through-silicon vias comprising forming an opening having a sidewall such that the opening extends through at least a portion of a substrate on which microelectronic structures have been formed. The method can further include lining the sidewall with a dielectric material, depositing tungsten on the dielectric material such that a cavity extends through at least a portion of the tungsten, and filling the cavity with a polysilicon material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle K. Kirby, Kunal R. Parekh, Philip J. Ireland, Sarah A. Niroumand
  • Patent number: 9337211
    Abstract: Provided are a backplane for a flat panel display device and a method of manufacturing the backplane. The method of manufacturing the backplane for a flat panel display device includes forming an insulation substrate on a glass substrate, forming a protection layer on the insulation substrate, the protection layer including a first opening exposing a portion of the insulation substrate, forming a first hole in the insulation substrate by removing the portion of the insulation substrate exposed by the first opening, and forming a transistor on the protection layer, the transistor including an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. The insulation substrate may include a transistor area including the transistor, and a non-transistor area excluding the transistor and including the first hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Yun Kim, Cheol-Ho Yu
  • Patent number: 9337013
    Abstract: Methods for producing a silicon wafer from a defect-free silicon single crystal grown by a Czochralski (CZ) method are provided. The methods comprise: preparing a silicon wafer obtained by slicing the defect-free silicon single crystal and subjected to mirror-polishing; then performing a heat treatment step of subjecting the mirror-polished silicon wafer to heat treatment at a temperature of 500° C. or higher but 600° C. or lower for 4 hours or more but 6 hours or less; and performing a repolishing step of repolishing the silicon wafer after the heat treatment step such that a polishing amount becomes 1.5 ?m or more. Therefore, it is an object to provide a method by which a silicon wafer can be produced at a high yield, the silicon wafer in which Light Point Defects (LPDs) are reduced to a minimum, the silicon wafer with a low failure-incidence rate in an inspection step and a shipment stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Izumi Fusegawa, Ryoji Hoshi, Susumu Sonokawa, Hisayuki Saito
  • Patent number: 9330981
    Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device including a high voltage transistor and a low voltage transistor and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including a high voltage region and a low voltage region; a high voltage transistor formed in the high voltage region and including a first active region, a first source/drain region, a first gate insulating layer, and a first gate electrode; and a low voltage transistor formed in the low voltage region and including a second active region, a second source/drain region, a second gate insulating layer, and a second gate electrode. The second source/drain region has a smaller thickness than a thickness of the first source/drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigenobu Maeda, Hyun-pil Noh, Choong-ho Lee, Seog-heon Ham
  • Patent number: 9318573
    Abstract: A field effect transistor having at least one Ge nanorod and a method of manufacturing the field effect transistor are provided. The field effect transistor may include a gate insulation layer formed on a silicon substrate, at least one nanorod embedded in the gate insulation layer having both ends thereof exposed, a source electrode and a drain electrode connected to opposite sides of the at least one Ge nanorod, and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulation layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-Wook Moon, Joong S. Jeon, Jung-hyun Lee, Nae-In Lee, Yeon-Sik Park, Hwa-Sung Rhee, Ho Lee, Se-Young Cho, Suk-Pil Kim
  • Patent number: 9318551
    Abstract: Device structures, fabrication methods, and design structures for a bipolar junction transistor. A first isolation region is formed in a substrate to define a lateral boundary for an active device region and an intrinsic base layer is formed on the substrate. The intrinsic base layer has a section overlying the active device region. After the intrinsic base layer is formed, the first isolation region is partially removed adjacent to the active device region to define a trench that is coextensive with the substrate in the active device region and that is coextensive with the first isolation region. The trench is at least partially filled with a dielectric material to define a second isolation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Renata Camillo-Castillo, Marwan H. Khater
  • Patent number: 9312156
    Abstract: A thin film transistor includes a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer which is provided to cover the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer which is provided over the gate insulating layer to overlap with the gate electrode; an impurity semiconductor layer which is partly provided over the semiconductor layer and which forms a source region and a drain region; and a wiring layer which is provided over the impurity semiconductor layer, where a width of the source region and the drain region is narrower than a width of the semiconductor layer, and where the width of the semiconductor layer is increased at least in a portion between the source region and the drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hidekazu Miyairi
  • Patent number: 9305992
    Abstract: An inductor may be formed from a conductive path that includes intertwined conductive lines. There may be two, three, or more than three intertwined conductive lines in the conductive path. The conductive lines may be formed from conductive structures in the dielectric stack of an integrated circuit. The dielectric stack may include metal layers that include conductive traces and may include via layers that include vias for interconnecting the traces. The intertwined conductive lines may be formed from the conductive structures in the metal and via layers. In crossover regions, the conductive lines may cross each other without electrically connecting to each other. Vias may be used to couple multiple layers of traces together to reduce line resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Shuxian Chen, Jeffrey T. Watt
  • Patent number: 9299691
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and method of forming the same including, in one embodiment, a substrate and a plurality of source and drain regions formed as alternating pattern on the substrate. The semiconductor device also includes a plurality of gates formed over the substrate between and parallel to ones of the plurality of source and drain regions. The semiconductor device also includes a first plurality of alternating source and drain metallic strips formed in a first metallic layer above the substrate and parallel to and forming an electrical contact with respective ones of the plurality of source and drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Enpirion, Inc.
    Inventors: Ashraf W. Lotfi, Jeffrey Demski, Anatoly Feygenson, Douglas Dean Lopata, Jay Norton, John D. Weld
  • Patent number: 9281242
    Abstract: A through silicon via (TSV) stacked structure made of stacked substrates. Each substrate includes multiple tapered through silicon vias, wherein the wider end of each tapered through silicon via is provided with a recessed portion and the narrower end of each tapered through silicon via protrudes from the substrate. The substrates are stacked one after another with the narrower end of each tapered through silicon via being fitting and jointing into a corresponding recessed portion of the tapered through silicon via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORP.
    Inventor: Po-Chun Lin
  • Patent number: 9276112
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having tipless epitaxial source/drain regions and a method for its formation are described. In an embodiment, the semiconductor device comprises a gate stack on a substrate. The gate stack is comprised of a gate electrode above a gate dielectric layer and is above a channel region in the substrate. The semiconductor device also comprises a pair of source/drain regions in the substrate on either side of the channel region. The pair of source/drain regions is in direct contact with the gate dielectric layer and the lattice constant of the pair of source/drain regions is different than the lattice constant of the channel region. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device is formed by using a dielectric gate stack placeholder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Mark T. Bohr
  • Patent number: 9269662
    Abstract: A semiconductor die, which includes a substrate, a group of primary conduction sub-layers, and a group of separation sub-layers, is disclosed. The group of primary conduction sub-layers is over the substrate. Each adjacent pair of the group of primary conduction sub-layers is separated by at least one of the group of separation sub-layers. As a result, the group of separation sub-layers mitigates grain growth in the group of primary conduction sub-layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Zoltan Ring, Helmut Hagleitner, Daniel Namishia, Fabian Radulescu
  • Patent number: 9269770
    Abstract: An integrated circuit system includes a substrate, forming a gate over the substrate, forming a first drift region having a first counter diffused region and a source diffused region, the first drift region in the substrate adjacent a first side of the gate, and forming a second drift region having a second counter diffused region and a drain diffused region, the second drift region in the substrate adjacent a second side of the gate opposite the first side of the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yisuo Li, Gang Chen, Francis Benistant, Purakh Raj Verma, Hong Yang, Shao-fu Sanford Chu