Patents Examined by George Eckert
  • Patent number: 7170135
    Abstract: An arrangement (200) and method for scalable ESD protection of a semiconductor structure (140), a protection structure (120) providing a discharge transistor (110) path from an input/output node (130) to ground or another node if a threshold voltage is reached, wherein the discharge transistor is a self-triggered transistor having collector/drain (220) and emitter/source (210) regions, and a base/bulk region (260) having one or more floating regions (240) between the collector/drain (220) and emitter/source (210) regions. The floating region (N or P) modulates the threshold voltage Vtl for ESD protection. Vtl can be adjusted by shifting the floating region location. Splitting of the electric field into two parts reduces the maximum of the electric field. Vt1 can be adjusted volt-by-volt to suit application needs. ESD capability is increased by better current distribution in the silicon. This provides the advantages of reduced die size, faster time-to-market, less redesign cost, and better ESD performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Zecri, Patrice Besse, Nicolas Nolhier
  • Patent number: 7122409
    Abstract: To provide a TFT that can operate at a high speed by forming a crystalline semiconductor film while controlling the position and the size of a crystal grain in the film to use the crystalline semiconductor film for a channel forming region of the TFT. Instead of a metal or a highly heat conductive insulating film, only a conventional insulating film is used as a base film to introduce a temperature gradient. A level difference of the base insulating film is provided in a desired location to generate the temperature distribution in the semiconductor film in accordance with the arrangement of the level difference. The starting point and the direction of lateral growth are controlled utilizing the temperature distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ritsuko Kawasaki, Kenji Kasahara, Hisashi Ohtani
  • Patent number: 7109069
    Abstract: In a conventional method of crystallization using a laser beam, variance (or dispersion) in a TFT characteristic becomes large, which causes various functions of a semiconductor device comprising TFTs as components of its electronic circuit to be restrained. A first shape of semiconductor region having on its one side a plurality of sharp convex top-end portions is formed first and a continuous wave laser beam is used for radiation from the above region so as to crystallize the first shape of semiconductor region. A continuous wave laser beam condensed in one or plural lines is used for the laser beam. The first shape of semiconductor region is etched to form a second shape of semiconductor region in which a channel forming region and a source and drain region are formed. The second shape of semiconductor region is disposed so that a channel forming range would be formed on respective crystal regions extending from the plurality of convex end portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiho Kokubo, Aiko Shiga, Shunpei Yamazaki, Hidekazu Miyairi, Koji Dairiki, Koichiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7105906
    Abstract: The loss of photogenerated electrons to surface electron-hole recombination sites is minimized by utilizing a first p-type surface region to form a depletion region that functions as a first barrier that repels photogenerated electrons from the surface recombination sites, and a second p-type surface region that provides a substantial change in the dopant concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. Hopper, Michael Mian, Robert Drury
  • Patent number: 7084080
    Abstract: A method of synthesizing an aminosilane source reagent composition, by reacting an aminosilane precursor compound with an amine source reagent compound in a solvent medium comprising at least one activating solvent component, to yield an aminosilane source reagent composition having less than 1000 ppm halogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander S. Borovik, Ziyun Wang, Chongying Xu, Thomas H. Baum, Brian L. Benac
  • Patent number: 7071033
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a leadframe and two stacked dies, a first of which is on a top surface of a leadframe while the second one is on a bottom surface of the leadframe. The drain region of the first die is coupled to a drain clip assembly that includes a drain clip that is in contact with a lead rail. The body of the semiconductor device includes a window or opening that exposes the drain region of the second die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Maria Cristina B. Estacio
  • Patent number: 7067861
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device including a first conductive layer, the first conductive layer is treated with a nitrogen/hydrogen plasma before an additional layer is deposited thereover. The treatment stuffs the surface with nitrogen, thereby preventing oxygen from being adsorbed onto the surface of the first conductive layer. In one embodiment, a second conductive layer is deposited onto the first conductive layer, and the plasma treatment lessens if not eliminates an oxide formed between the two layers as a result of subsequent thermal treatments. In another embodiment, a dielectric layer is deposited onto the first conductive layer, and the plasma treatment lessens if not eliminates the ability of the first conductive layer to incorporate oxygen from the dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Vishnu K. Agarwal
  • Patent number: 7053447
    Abstract: Memory cells are formed by preferably cylindrical recesses at the main surface of a semiconductor substrate, containing a memory layer sequence at sidewalls and a gate electrode and being provided with upper and lower source/drain regions connected in columns to first and second bit lines. Word lines are arranged above the first and second bit lines and connected to rows of gate electrodes. The vertical transistor structure facilitates a further shrinking of the cells and enables a required minimum effective channel length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Martin Verhoeven
  • Patent number: 7053434
    Abstract: A ferroelectric memory device, e.g., nonvolatile, has an effective layout by eliminating a separate cell plate line. The ferroelectric memory device includes first and second split word lines formed over first and second active regions of a semiconductor substrate, and the first and second active regions are isolated from each other. Source and drain regions are formed in the first active region on both sides of the first split word line and the second active region on both sides of the second split word line. A conductive barrier layer, a first capacitor electrode and a ferroelectric layer are sequentially formed on the first and second split word lines. Two second capacitor electrodes with one connected to one of the source and drain regions of the second active region is formed over the first split word line. The other one is connected to one of the source and drain regions of the first active region and is formed over the second split word line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hee Bok Kang
  • Patent number: 7049629
    Abstract: An electronic device containing a thienylene-arylene polymer comprised of a repeating segment containing at least one 2,5-thienylene segment of (I) or (II), and at least one arylene segment of (IIIa), (IIIb), or (IIIc) wherein each R is independently an alkyl or an alkoxy side chain; R? is halogen, alkyl, or alkoxy, and a and b represent the number of R segments or groups, and wherein the number of arylene segments (IIIa), (IIIb), and (IIIc) is from about 1 to about 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Yiliang Wu, Ping Liu, Lu Jiang, Beng S. Ong
  • Patent number: 7049650
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a capacitor including a bottom electrode, a top electrode, and a dielectric film, the bottom electrode comprising a first conductive film containing iridium, a second conductive film provided between the dielectric film and the first conductive film and formed of a noble metal film, a third conductive film provided between the dielectric film and the second conductive film and formed of a conductive metal oxide film having a perovskite structure, and a diffusion prevention film provided between the first conductive film and the second conductive film and including at least one of a metal film and a metal oxide film, the diffusion prevention film preventing diffusion of iridium contained in the first conductive film, the dielectric film including an insulating metal oxide film having a perovskite structure, the insulating metal oxide film being expressed by A(ZrxTi1-x)O3 (A is at least one A site element, 0<x<0.35).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Itokawa, Koji Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 7041544
    Abstract: First to third logic circuits and first to third static random access memories (SRAMs) are formed on one chip. Power to the first and third logic circuits and their SRAMs is shut off as required, while power to the second logic circuit and its SRAM is kept supplied. The third SRAM has the largest memory capacity. The average channel width of the first to third SRAM cell arrays is set at a half or less of that of the other circuit blocks, and the channel impurity concentration of the second and third SRAM cell arrays, which operate at low speed, is set higher than that of the first SRAM cell array, which operates at high speed, by additional ion implantation. By these settings, MOS transistors of low threshold voltage (Vt) are provided for the first SRAM cell array, while MOS transistors of high Vt are provided for the second and third SRAM cell arrays for leakage reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7041591
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor package substrate having a plated metal layer on a conductive pad is proposed. First of all, a first resist layer is formed on a semiconductor package substrate having a plurality of traces and conductive pads on a surface thereof. The first resist layer is provided with at least an opening, such that the opening is able to contact the adjacent trace. Subsequently, a conductive film is formed in the opening, such that the conductive film can electrically connect the adjacent trace and conductive pad. After removing the first resist layer, a second resist layer having a plurality of openings is formed on the surface of the substrate to expose the conductive pad. Afterwards, an electroplating process is performed on the substrate, so that a metal layer is formed on an exposed surface of the conductive pad. The second resist layer and the conductive film are then removed from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Phoenix Precision Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Pei-Ching Lee, Xian-Zhang Wang, E-Tung Chu
  • Patent number: 7037817
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a first semiconductor layer composed of a group III–V nitride, an oxide film formed by oxidizing a second semiconductor layer composed of a group III–V nitride to be located on the gate electrode formation region of the first semiconductor layer, an insulating film formed on the oxide film to have a composition different from the composition of the oxide film, and a gate electrode formed on the insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru Inoue, Yoshito Ikeda, Yutaka Hirose, Katsunori Nishii
  • Patent number: 7033869
    Abstract: An SOI substrate comprises a layer of strained silicon sandwiched between a dielectric layer and a layer of strained silicon. The substrate may be used to form a strained silicon SOI MOSFET having a gate electrode that extends through the silicon germanium layer to a channel region formed in the strained silicon layer. The MOSFET may be formed in a fully depleted state by using a strained silicon layer of appropriate thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices
    Inventors: Qi Xiang, Jung-Suk Goo, James N. Pan
  • Patent number: 7035143
    Abstract: Provided is related to a NAND flash memory device and method of reading the same, in which during a read operation, a ground voltage is applied to string and ground selection transistors of deselected cell blocks so as to increase resistance of a string line to prevent leakage currents due to a back-bias effect. A reduced bitline leakage current increases an ON/OFF current ratio between programmed and erased cells to reduce a sensing time therein, which makes a read trip range so as to prevent variation of threshold voltages due to data retention and reading disturbance. Voltages can be independently applied to source selection lines by electrically isolating source selection transistors between the cell blocks. It is available to reduce the number of source discharge transistors by electrically connecting the source selection transistors between adjacent cell blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Hee Youl Lee
  • Patent number: 7031216
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a memory such as a DRAM (dynamic random access memory), specifically to a refresh controller embedded in a memory. The refresh controller according to the present invention lowers the levels of peak currents by differentiating active times of a first bank enable signal and a second bank enable signal. The present invention has an advantage that there is no problem of substantially reducing a refresh prosecution time for a second portion because a delayed refresh enable signal is being disabled even while the second bank enable signal is being enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Min Young You
  • Patent number: 7027322
    Abstract: There is provided an EPIR device which is excellent in mass productivity and high in practical utility. The EPIR device includes a lower electrode layer, a CMR thin film layer and an upper electrode layer which are laminated in this order on any of various substrates. A Pt polycrystal thin film 10 forming the lower electrode layer includes columnar Pt crystal grains 10A, 10B, 10C, . . . and over 90% of these crystal grains is oriented to a (1 1 1) face. Columnar PCMO crystal grain groups 20A, 20B, 20C, . . . are respectively locally grown epitaxially on the respective outermost surfaces of the Pt crystal grains 10A, 10B, 10C, . . . . Then, the crystal faces of the crystal grains included in the PCMO crystal grain groups 20A, 20B, 20C, . . . and vertical in the substrate surface normal direction are any one of (1 0 0)p, (1 1 0)p and (1 1 1)p planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshimasa Suzuki, Yuji Nishi, Masayuki Fujimoto, Nobuyoshi Awaya, Kohji Inoue, Keizo Sakiyama
  • Patent number: 7026717
    Abstract: A fill pattern for a semiconductor device. The device includes a plurality of first topographic structures comprising conductive lead lines deposited on a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of second topographic structures comprising fill patterns such that the top surfaces of the second topographic structures are generally coplanar with the top surfaces of the plurality of first topographic structures. The plurality of first and second topographic structures are arranged in a generally repeating array on the substrate. A planarization layer is deposited on top of the substrate such that it fills the space between the plurality of first and second topographic structures, with its top surface generally coplanar with that of the top surfaces of the first and second topographic structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Werner Juengling, Philip J. Ireland
  • Patent number: 7015076
    Abstract: A method is provided of forming an integrated circuit with a semiconductor substrate that is doped with a set concentration of an oxidizable dopant of a type that segregates to the top surface of a silicide when the semiconductor substrate is reacted to form such a silicide. A gate dielectric is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a gate is formed on the gate dielectric. Source/drain junctions are formed in the semiconductor substrate. A silicide is formed on the source/drain junctions and dopant is segregated to the top surface of the silicide. The dopant on the top surface of the segregated dopant is oxidized to form an insulating layer of oxidized dopant above the silicide. An interlayer dielectric is deposited above the semiconductor substrate. Contacts and connection points are then formed in the interlayer dielectric to the insulating layer of oxidized dopant above the silicide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Darin A. Chan, Simon Siu-Sing Chan, Paul L. King