Patents Examined by George R. Fourson
  • Patent number: 7323402
    Abstract: A fabrication process for a trench Schottky diode with differential oxide thickness within the trenches includes forming a first nitride layer on a substrate surface and subsequently forming a plurality of trenches in the substrate including, possibly, a termination trench. Following a sacrificial oxide layer formation and removal, sidewall and bottom surfaces of the trenches are oxidized. A second nitride layer is then applied to the substrate and etched such that the second nitride layer covers the oxide layer on the trench sidewalls but exposes the oxide layer on the trench bottom surfaces. The trench bottom surfaces are then re-oxidized and the remaining second nitride layer then removed from the sidewalls, resulting in an oxide layer of varying thickness being formed on the sidewall and bottom surfaces of each trench. The trenches are then filled with a P type polysilicon, the first nitride layer removed, and a Schottky barrier metal applied to the substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Davide Chiola
  • Patent number: 7320938
    Abstract: A method for reducing dendrite formation in a self-aligned, silicide process for a semiconductor device includes forming a silicide metal layer over a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor device having one or more diffusion regions, one or more isolation areas and one or more gate structures formed thereon. The concentration of metal rich portions of the metal layer is reduced through the introduction of silicon thereto, and the semiconductor device is annealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Internatioanl Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Purtell, Yun-Yu Wang, Keith Kwong Hon Wong
  • Patent number: 7319276
    Abstract: A substrate for a pre-soldering material and a fabrication method of the substrate are proposed. The substrate having at least one surface formed with a plurality of conductive pads is provided. An insulating layer is formed over the surface of the substrate in such a way that a top surface of each of the conductive pads is exposed. Next, a conductive film and a resist layer are formed in sequence on the insulating layer and the conductive pads, wherein a plurality of openings are formed in the resist layer to expose a part of the conductive film above the conductive pad. Then, a pre-soldering material is deposited over the conductive pad by stencil printing or electroplating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Phoenix Precision Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Shih-Ping Hsu, Chu-Chin Hu
  • Patent number: 7319058
    Abstract: A fabrication method for a non-volatile memory is provided. To fabricate the non-volatile memory, a plurality of first trenches and second trenches are formed in a substrate, wherein the second trenches are disposed above the first trenches and cross over the first trenches. Then, a tunneling layer and a charge storage layer are sequentially formed on both sidewalls of each second trench. An isolation layer is filled into the first trench. Furthermore, a charge barrier layer is formed on the sidewall of the second trench, and a gate dielectric layer is formed at the bottom of the second trench. A control gate layer is filled into the second trench. Finally, two first doping regions are formed in the substrate at both sides of the control gate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: ProMOS Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Ting-Sing Wang
  • Patent number: 7319274
    Abstract: Methods for the production of airgaps in semiconductor devices and devices produced using such methods are disclosed. An example semiconductor device includes a damascene stack formed using such methods. The damascene stack includes a patterned dielectric layer including an interconnect structure, where the dielectric layer is formed of a dielectric material including Si, C and O. The damascene stack also includes a converted portion of the dielectric layer, where the converted portion is adjacent to the at least one interconnect structure and has a lower carbon content than the dielectric material. The damascene stack also includes an airgap formed adjacent to the interconnect structure, the airgap being formed by removing at least part of the converted portion using an etch compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (IMEC v2w)
    Inventors: Gerald Beyer, Jean Paul Gueneau de Mussy, Karen Maex, Victor Sutcliffe
  • Patent number: 7316978
    Abstract: A method for forming a recess. The method includes providing a substrate with two protrusions having a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to the first side wall disposed above the substrate, conformally forming a mask layer on the substrate and the protrusions, tilt implanting the mask layer using a first implanting mask adjacent to the first side wall of the protrusions, removing implanted portions of the mask layer to form a patterned mask layer, and etching the substrate using the patterned mask layer, thereby forming a recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Nanya Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Pei-Ing Lee, Chung-Yuan Lee, Chien-Li Cheng
  • Patent number: 7317227
    Abstract: A semiconductor film serving as an active region of a thin film transistor and an upper oxide film protecting the semiconductor film are dry etched to form the active region. In this case, a fluorine-based gas is used as the etching gas, and the etching gas is switched from the fluorine-based gas to a chlorine-based gas at a point of time when a lower oxide film as an underlying film of the semiconductor film is exposed. As the fluorine-based gas, a mixed gas of CF4 and O2 is used, and suitably, a gas ratio of CF4 and O2 in the mixture gas is set at 1:1, and the dry etching is performed therefor. By this etching, a side face of a two-layer structure of the semiconductor film and upper oxide film is optimally tapered, and a crack or a disconnection is prevented from being occurring in a film crossing over the two-layer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Shiraishi, Kenichi Hayashi, Naoto Hirano, Atsushi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7311738
    Abstract: A positioning apparatus for positioning a substrate. The positioning apparatus includes a setting system which selectively sets one of a center of the substrate and a specific portion of an edge of the substrate as a positioning reference in accordance with information inputted to the positioning apparatus, and a positioning system which positions the substrate based on a position of the positioning reference set by the setting system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumiaki Kitayama
  • Patent number: 7312118
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, a capacitor structure formed above the semiconductor substrate and comprising a first electrode, a second electrode provided below the first electrode, a third electrode provided below the second electrode, a first dielectric film provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a second dielectric film provided between the second electrode and the third electrode, an insulating film covering the capacitor structure and having a first hole reaching the first electrode, a second hole reaching the second electrode, and a third hole reaching the third electrode, a first conductive connection electrically connecting the first electrode and the third electrode and having portions buried in the first and third holes, and a second conductive connection formed separately from the first conductive connection and having a portion buried in the second hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masahiro Kiyotoshi
  • Patent number: 7312143
    Abstract: A wafer level chip scale package may have a gap provided between a solder bump and a bump land. The gap may be filled with a gas. A method of manufacturing a wafer level chip scale package may involve forming a redistribution line having a first opening, forming a seed metal layer having a second opening including an undercut portion, and forming the gap using the first and the second openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myeong-Soon Park, Hyun-Soo Chung, In-Young Lee, Jae-Sik Chung, Sung-Min Sim, Dong-Hyeon Jang, Young-Hee Song, Seung-Kwan Ryu
  • Patent number: 7312501
    Abstract: ON resistance and leakage current of a vertical power MOSFET are to be diminished. In a vertical high breakdown voltage MOSFET with unit MOSFETs (cells) arranged longitudinally and transversely over a main surface of a semiconductor substrate, the cells are made quadrangular in shape, and in each of the cells, source regions whose inner end portions are exposed to the interior of a quadrangular source contact hole are arranged separately and correspondingly to each side of the quadrangle. Each source region is trapezoidal in shape, and a lower side of the trapezoid is positioned below a gate electrode (gate insulating film), while an upper side portion of the trapezoid is exposed to the interior of the source contact hole. The four source regions are separated from one another by diagonal regions of the quadrangle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Katuo Ishizaka, Tetsuo Iijima
  • Patent number: 7307017
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating semiconductor devices are disclosed. A disclosed semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate, a source region and a drain region. A gate electrode is formed on the silicon substrate. Also, a metal silicide layer is formed on each of the gate electrode, the source region, and the drain region. The metal silicide layer has a thickness uniformity of about 1˜20%. A disclosed fabrication method includes forming a metal layer on a silicon substrate having a gate electrode, a source region, and a drain region; performing a plasma treatment on the metal layer; forming a protective layer on the metal layer; and heat treating the silicon substrate on which the protective layer is formed to thereby form a metal silicide layer. A gas that includes nitrogen is used as a plasma gas during the plasma treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Dongbu Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Han-Choon Lee, Jin-Woo Park
  • Patent number: 7300848
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a recess gate is formed by first forming a recess below the upper surface of the substrate. A spacer is formed at each sidewall of the recess. An impurity doping area is formed in a source area. A first LDD area is formed in a drain area. A gate comprising a gate insulating layer and a gate conductive layer is then formed in the recess. A second LDD area is formed on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate. A gate spacer is formed at each sidewall of the gate. Then a source/drain area having an asymmetrical structure is formed on each side of the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Min Woo Jang
  • Patent number: 7297979
    Abstract: A thin film transistor array panel comprising: an insulating substrate; gate lines formed on the insulating substrate; data lines defining a display region by intersecting the gate lines while being insulated; an electrostatic dispersion line intersecting the gate lines; diodes adhered to the gate lines and to the electrostatic dispersion line; and a repair line for repairing the data lines formed on the insulating substrate outside the display region and intersecting the electrostatic dispersion line while being insulated. According to the present invention, since static electricity flowing along the repair line is not transferred to the data lines, defects of a thin film transistor of the display region may be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do-Gi Lim, Cheol-Soo Jung
  • Patent number: 7298013
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a semiconductor component and a method of manufacture thereof. A semiconductor component comprises: a gate electrode layer adjacent a substrate, and a gate dielectric layer adjacent the gate electrode layer. The gate dielectric layer comprises a monolayer of at least one compound, wherein the compound has an aromatic or a condensed aromatic molecular group. The molecular group is capable of ?-? interactions, which stabilize the monolayer. In an embodiment, the semiconductor component is an organic field effect transistor (OFET). In an embodiment of the invention, a method includes forming the monolayer using a liquid phase immersion process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Guenter Schmid, Marcus Halik, Hagen Klauk, Ute Zschieschang, Franz Effenberger, Markus Schutz, Steffen Maisch, Steffen Seifritz, Frank Buckel
  • Patent number: 7295745
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a periodic structure having a first layer constituted by a plurality of first columnar members arrayed at first intervals, and a second layer constituted by a plurality of second columnar members arrayed at second intervals in the direction different from the long-side direction of the first columnar members, wherein the first layer and the second layer are laminated to each other, the method including the steps of: preparing the first columnar members, wherein each first columnar member has a first convex part on a surface, and the length of the first convex part in the long-side direction of the first columnar member is longer than the width of the second columnar members; and laminating the first columnar members and the second columnar members via the first convex parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuro Uchida
  • Patent number: 7291513
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for making a wafer-level package for a plurality of MEMS devices. The method involves preparing a MEMS wafer and a lid wafer, each having respective bonding structures. The lid and MEMS wafers are then bonded together through the bonding structures. The wafers are substantially free of alkali metals and/or chlorine. IN a preferred embodiment, each wafer has a seed layer, a structural underlayer and an anti-oxidation layer. A solder layer, normally formed on the lid wafer, bonds the two wafers together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: DALSA Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Luc Ouellet, Karine Turcotte
  • Patent number: 7291931
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first insulation layer including a first conductor pattern, a second insulation layer formed on the first insulation layer and including a second conductor pattern, and a third conductor pattern formed on the second insulation layer, wherein there is formed a first alignment mark part in the first insulation layer by a part of the first conductor pattern, the third conductor pattern is formed with a second alignment mark part corresponding to the first alignment mark part, the first and second alignment marks forming a mark pair for detecting alignment of the first conductor pattern and the third conductor pattern, the second conductor pattern being formed in the second insulation layer so as to avoid the first alignment mark part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi Kirikoshi, Eiichi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7274109
    Abstract: A semiconductor die includes a plurality of drivers and a plurality of bonding pads. Each driver is formed by a plurality of interconnected modules and has an associated bonding pad to which at least one of the modules of the driver is electrically connected. The modules of some of the drivers are positioned outside of the associated bonding pad toward a periphery of the die. The bonding pads may be arranged, for example, in a double- or triple-staggered pattern around the periphery of the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: James R. Emmert, Charles Evans, Michael Alvin Rencher, Haoran Duan
  • Patent number: 7273797
    Abstract: The invention encompasses a method of forming a semiconductor-on-insulator construction. A substrate is provided. The substrate includes a semiconductor-containing layer over an insulative mass. The insulative mass comprises silicon dioxide. A band of material is formed within the insulative mass. The material comprises one or more of nitrogen argon, fluorine, bromine, chlorine, iodine and germanium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Chandra Mouli