Patents Examined by Geoffrey Ida
  • Patent number: 10217867
    Abstract: A method for forming fins includes patterning a fin cut mask over a fin etch mask to protect the fin etch mask in a fin region and etching a substrate in accordance with the fin cut mask to form fin cut regions. A first dielectric fill material is formed in the fin cut regions. The fin etch mask is exposed by removing the fin cut mask. Fins in the substrate are etched using the fin etch mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Peng Xu
  • Patent number: 10211175
    Abstract: A substrate includes a plurality of semiconductor chips arranged in a grid pattern and laterally spaced from one another by channel regions. The substrate includes a vertical stack of a semiconductor layer and at least one dielectric material layer embedding metal interconnect structures. The at least one dielectric material layer are removed along the channel regions and around vertices of the grid pattern so that each semiconductor chip includes corner surfaces that are not parallel to lines of the grid pattern. The corner surfaces can include straight surfaces or convex surfaces. The semiconductor chips are diced and subsequently bonded to a packaging substrate employing an underfill material. The corner surfaces reduce mechanical stress applied to the metal interconnect layer during the bonding process and subsequent thermal cycling processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard F. Indyk, Ian D. Melville, Shigefumi Okada
  • Patent number: 10199482
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device configured to protect a circuit from ESD conditions. The protection device includes an emitter region having a first diffusion polarity; a collector region laterally spaced apart from the emitter region, and having the first diffusion polarity; and a barrier region interposed laterally between the emitter region and the collector region while contacting the emitter region. The barrier region has a second diffusion polarity opposite from the first diffusion polarity. The device can further include a base region having the second diffusion polarity, and laterally surrounding and underlying the emitter region and the barrier region. The barrier region can have a higher dopant concentration than the base region, and block a lateral current flow between the collector and emitter regions, thus forming a vertical ESD device having enhanced ESD performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: David Clarke, Paul Daly, Patrick McGuinness, Bernard Stenson, Anne Deignan
  • Patent number: 10184056
    Abstract: An ink for forming a functional layer includes a first component that contains at least one kind of aromatic solvent of which a boiling point is higher than or equal to 250° C. and lower than or equal to 350° C., a second component that contains at least one kind of aliphatic solvent of which a boiling point is higher than or equal to 200° C., and a third component for forming a positive hole injection layer, in which a solubility of the third component in the first component is higher than the solubility of the third component in the second component, a mixing ratio of the second component is 30 vol %, the boiling point of the first component is higher than the boiling point of the second component, and a difference between the boiling points thereof is higher than or equal to 30° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Sonoyama, Shotaro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10181454
    Abstract: In a stack of chips which each include active circuit regions, a plurality of through-silicon via (TSV) structures are formed for thermally conducting heat from the multi-chip stack by patterning, etching and filling with thermally conductive material a plurality of TSV openings in the multi-chip stack, including a first larger TSV opening that extends through substantially the entirety of the multi-chip stack without penetrating any active circuit region, and a second smaller TSV opening that extends down to but not through an active circuit region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventor: Changyok Park
  • Patent number: 10170499
    Abstract: A plurality of semiconductor fins is formed on a surface of an insulator layer. Gate structures are then formed that are orientated perpendicular and straddle each semiconductor fin. A dielectric spacer is then formed on vertical sidewalls of each gate structure. Next, an etch is performed that removes exposed portions of each semiconductor fin and a portion of the insulator layer not protected by the dielectric spacers and the gate structures. The etch provides semiconductor fin portions that have exposed vertical sidewalls. A doped semiconductor material is then formed from each exposed vertical sidewall of each semiconductor fin portion, followed by an anneal which causes diffusion of dopants from the doped semiconductor material into each semiconductor fin portion and the formation of source/drain regions. The source/drain regions are present along the sidewalls of each semiconductor fin portion and are located beneath the dielectric spacers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Hong He, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek, Soon-Cheon Seo
  • Patent number: 10164123
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate comprising a first semiconductor; and a unit pixel cell provided to the semiconductor substrate. The unit pixel cell includes: a photoelectric converter that includes a pixel electrode and a photoelectric conversion layer, the photoelectric converter converting incident light into electric charges; a charge detection transistor that includes a part of the semiconductor substrate and detects the electric charges; and a reset transistor that includes at least a part of a first semiconductor layer comprising a second semiconductor and initializes a voltage of the photoelectric converter. The pixel electrode is located above the charge detection transistor. The reset transistor is located between the charge detection transistor and the pixel electrode. A band gap of the second semiconductor is larger than a band gap of the first semiconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeo Yoshii, Junji Hirase, Daisuke Ueda
  • Patent number: 10157952
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate and at least one unit pixel cell provided to a surface of the semiconductor substrate. Each of the at least one unit pixel cell includes: a photoelectric converter including a pixel electrode and a photoelectric conversion layer located on the pixel electrode, the photoelectric converter converting incident light into electric charges; a charge detection transistor that includes a part of the semiconductor substrate and detects the electric charges; and a reset transistor that includes a gate electrode and initializes a voltage of the photoelectric converter. The pixel electrode is located above the charge detection transistor. The reset transistor is located between the charge detection transistor and the pixel electrode. When viewed from a direction normal to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, at least a part of the gate electrode is located outside the pixel electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tokuhiko Tamaki, Junji Hirase, Shigeo Yoshii
  • Patent number: 10153457
    Abstract: A flexible display device comprises a flexible substrate including a display area and a non-display area; a display layer in the display area on a first surface of the flexible substrate; a polarizing plate on the display layer; and a cover coat in the non-display area on the first surface of the flexible substrate, the cover coat including a first end portion overlapping with the polarizing plate. At least a portion of the non-display area of the flexible substrate and the cover coat are bendable in a bending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: HaeJoon Son, SieHyug Choi, JuhnSuk Yoo, MoonGoo Kim, Jehong Park, Chiwoong Kim
  • Patent number: 10153371
    Abstract: A method is for making a semiconductor device. The method may include forming fins above a substrate, each fin having an upper fin portion including a first semiconductor material and a lower fin portion including a dielectric material. The method may include forming recesses into sidewalls of each lower fin portion to expose a lower surface of a respective upper fin portion, and forming a second semiconductor layer surrounding the fins including the exposed lower surfaces of the upper fin portions. The second semiconductor layer may include a second semiconductor material to generate stress in the first semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC., GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC
    Inventors: Xiuyu Cai, Qing Liu, Ruilong Xie
  • Patent number: 10147642
    Abstract: A method involving a barrier for preventing eutectic break-through in through-substrate vias is disclosed. The method generally includes steps (A) to (D). Step (A) may form one or more vias through a substrate. The substrate generally comprises a semiconductor. Step (B) may form a first metal layer. Step (C) may form a barrier layer. The barrier layer generally resides between the vias and the first metal layer. Step (D) may form a second metal layer. The second metal layer may be in electrical contact with the first metal layer through the vias and the barrier layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: MACOM TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Allen W. Hanson, Rajesh Baskaran, Timothy E. Boles
  • Patent number: 10141415
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate trench in a semiconductor substrate, a source trench in the semiconductor substrate, the source trench having a first portion and a second portion under the first portion, where the first portion of the source trench is wider than the gate trench, and extends to a depth of the gate trench. The semiconductor device also includes a gate electrode and a gate trench dielectric liner in the gate trench, and a conductive filler and a source trench dielectric liner in the source trench. The semiconductor device further includes a source region between the gate trench and the source trench, a base region between the gate trench and the source trench, and a source contact coupled to the source region and the base region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Americas Corp.
    Inventors: Adam Amali, Ling Ma
  • Patent number: 10128219
    Abstract: A Multi-Chip Module (MCM) package includes a substrate having a plurality of metal terminals and at least a first die attach area. An encapsulant is around the substrate including on at least a portion of the topside and at least a portion of the bottomside of the package. At least a first device including at least two device terminals is attached face up on the first die attach area. At least a second device including at least two device terminals is flip-chip attached and stacked on the first device. At least one of the first device and second device include a transistor. At least one metal clip is between the first device and second device including a plurality of clip portions isolated from one another connecting at least one device terminal of each of the first device and second device to respective metal terminals of the plurality of metal terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Marie Denison, Richard Saye, Takahiko Kudoh, Satyendra Singh Chauhan
  • Patent number: 10121749
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a passivation layer overlying a semiconductor substrate, and an interconnect structure overlying the passivation layer. The interconnect structure includes a landing pad region and a dummy region electrically separated from each other. A protective layer overlies the interconnect structure and includes a first opening exposing a portion of the landing pad region and a second opening exposing a portion of the dummy region. A metal layer is formed on the exposed portion of landing pad region and the exposed portion of the dummy region. A bump is formed on the metal layer overlying the landing pad region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsien-Wei Chen, Hao-Yi Tsai, Mirng-Ji Lii, Chen-Hua Yu
  • Patent number: 10115923
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a display panel, which includes a display unit. The display unit includes an anode layer, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a luminescent material layer, an electron transporting layer, an electron injection layer, a cathode layer. The luminescent material layer includes the first luminescent material block, the second luminescent material block, and the third luminescent material block. The first luminous material block and the second luminous material block are partially overlapped, and the second luminous material block and the third luminescent material block are partially overlapped. The present invention is beneficial to producing a pixel having a smaller dimension in the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignees: SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., WUHAN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junying Mu
  • Patent number: 10081541
    Abstract: A multiple silicon trenches forming method and an etching mask structure, the method comprises: step S11, providing a MEMS sealing cap silicon substrate (100); step S12, forming n stacked mask layers (101, 102, 103) on the MEMS sealing cap silicon substrate (100), after forming each mask layer, photolithographing and etching the mask layer and all other mask layers beneath the same to form a plurality of etching windows (D1, D2, D3); step S13, etching the MEMS sealing cap silicon substrate by using the current uppermost mask layer and a layer of mask material beneath the same as a mask; step S14, removing the current uppermost mask layer; step S15, repeating the step S13 and the step S14 until all the n mask layers are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: HANGZHOU SILAN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yongxiang Wen, Chen Liu, Feng Ji, Liwen Li
  • Patent number: 10074719
    Abstract: The present application discloses a semiconductor device in which an IGBT region and a diode region are formed on one semiconductor substrate. The IGBT region includes: a collector layer; an IGBT drift layer; a body layer; a gate electrode; and an emitter layer. The diode region includes: a cathode layer; a diode drift layer; an anode layer; a trench electrode; and an anode contact layer. The diode region is divided into unit diode regions by the gate electrode or the trench electrode. In a unit diode region adjacent to the IGBT region, when seen in a plan view of the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, the anode layer and the anode contact layer are mixedly placed, and the anode contact layer is placed at least in a location opposite to the emitter layer with the gate electrode interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Kameyama, Keisuke Kimura
  • Patent number: 10068903
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for artificial exciton devices. An artificial exciton device includes a semiconductor substrate; at least one well region doped to a first conductivity type in a portion of the semiconductor substrate; a channel region in a central portion of the well region; a cathode region in the well region doped to a second conductivity type; an anode region in the well region doped to the first conductivity type; a first lightly doped drain region disposed between the cathode region and the channel region doped to the first conductivity type; a second lightly doped drain region disposed between the anode region and the channel region doped to the second conductivity type; and a gate structure overlying the channel region, the gate structure comprising a gate dielectric layer lying over the channel region and a gate conductor material overlying the gate dielectric. Methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Henry Litzmann Edwards, Greg Charles Baldwin
  • Patent number: 10062773
    Abstract: The present invention makes it possible, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, to inhibit: impurities from diffusing from a substrate to a semiconductor layer; and the withstand voltage of a transistor from deteriorating. In the present invention, a first electrically conductive type epitaxial layer is formed over a first electrically conductive type base substrate. The impurity concentration of the epitaxial layer is lower than that of the base substrate. A second electrically conductive type first embedded layer and a second electrically conductive type second embedded layer are formed in the epitaxial layer. The second embedded layer is deeper than the first embedded layer, is kept away from the first embedded layer, and has an impurity concentration lower than the first embedded layer. A transistor is further formed in the epitaxial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaru Kadoshima, Masao Inoue
  • Patent number: 10049994
    Abstract: A chip contact pad and a method of making a chip contact pad are disclosed. An embodiment of the present invention includes forming a plurality of contact pads over a workpiece, each contact pad having lower sidewalls and upper sidewalls and reducing a lower width of each contact pad so that an upper width of each contact pad is larger than the lower width. The method further includes forming a photoresist over the plurality of contact pads and removing portions of the photoresist thereby forming sidewall spacers along the lower sidewalls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Johann Gatterbauer, Bernhard Weidgans