Patents Examined by Heather Doty
  • Patent number: 7371600
    Abstract: A thin-film structural body formed by using a semiconductor processing technique and a manufacturing method thereof, and particularly a thin-film structural body constituting a semiconductor acceleration sensor and a manufacturing method thereof. The thin-film structural body allows the thin-film member to be easily stress-controlled, and easily makes the film-thickness of the thin-film member thicker. The thin-film member forms a mass body and, beams and fixed electrodes of the semiconductor acceleration sensor are constituted by a plurality of doped polysilicon thin-films that are laminated by performing a step of film deposition of polysilicon while, for example, phosphorous is being doped as impurities plural times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ishibashi, Makio Horikawa, Mika Okumura, Masaaki Aoto, Daisaku Yoshida, Hirofumi Takakura
  • Patent number: 7312125
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes multiple layers. A semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) wafer can be used to house transistors. Two substrates or wafers can be bonded to form the multiple layers. A strained semiconductor layer can be between a silicon germanium layer and a buried oxide layer. A hydrogen implant can provide a breaking interface to remove a silicon substrate from the silicon germanium layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Qi Xiang, Paul R. Besser, Minh Van Ngo, Eric N. Paton, Haihong Wang
  • Patent number: 7301201
    Abstract: A high voltage device prevents or minimizes the lowering of a maximum operating voltage range. Bulk resistances of the drift regions are reduced by forming trenches within the drift regions and filling the trenches with conductive polysilicon layers. The polysilicon layers reduce the bulk resistances and prevents or minimizes the operation of parasitic bipolar junction transistors typically formed when the high voltage device is manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Lee-Yeun Hwang
  • Patent number: 7294440
    Abstract: A method to correct critical dimension errors during a semiconductor manufacturing process. The method includes providing a first semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device is analyzed to determine at least one critical dimension error within the first semiconductor device. A dose of electron beam exposure to correct the at least one critical dimension error during a subsequent process to form a second semiconductor device, or during modification of the first semiconductor device is determined. The subsequent process comprises providing a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure comprises a photoresist layer on a semiconductor substrate. A plurality of features are formed in the photoresist layer. At least one feature of the plurality of features comprises the at least one critical dimension error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jed H. Rankin, Andrew J. Watts
  • Patent number: 7279351
    Abstract: In a method of passivating a semiconductor device with two types of transistors, e.g., NMOS and PMOS transistor, the semiconductor device is placed in a pressurized sealed chamber and at least two different passivating gases are introduced into the chamber. The two passivating gases can be selected to have one gas suitable for passivating PMOS transistors and the other gas suitable for NMOS transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Toppoly Optoelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Yaw Ming Tsai, Shih Chang Chang, De Hua Deng, Shih Pin Wang
  • Patent number: 7276779
    Abstract: A III-V group nitride system semiconductor substrate is of a III-V group nitride system single crystal. The III-V group nitride system semiconductor substrate has a flat surface, and a vector made by projecting on a surface of the substrate a normal vector of a low index surface closest to the substrate surface at an arbitrary point in a plane of the substrate is converged on a specific point or a specific region inside or outside the plane of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatomo Shibata
  • Patent number: 7274088
    Abstract: A flip-ship semiconductor package with a lead frame as a chip carrier is provided, wherein a plurality of leads of the lead frame are each formed with at least a dam member thereon. When a chip is mounted on the lead frame by means of solder bumps, each of the solder bumps is attached to the corresponding one of the leads at a position between the dam member and an inner end of the lead. During a reflow-soldering process for wetting the solder bumps to the leads, the dam members would help control collapse height of the solder bumps, so as to enhance resistance of the solder bumps to thermal stress generated by CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) mismatch between the chip and the leads, thereby preventing incomplete electrical connection between the chip and the leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chi-Chuan Wu, Chien-Ping Huang, Han-Ping Pu
  • Patent number: 7271089
    Abstract: A barrier layer forming method includes providing a porous dielectric layer over a substrate, the dielectric layer having a surface with exposed pores, and treating the dielectric layer with a plasma formed from a methane-containing gas. The treating seals the exposed pores. The method includes depositing a barrier layer over the surface, the barrier layer being continuous over the sealed pores. The porous dielectric may be low K. The plasma may be formed at a bias of at least about 100 volts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurtej S. Sandu, Bradley J. Howard
  • Patent number: 7262089
    Abstract: The invention includes semiconductor structures having buried silicide-containing bitlines. Vertical surround gate transistor structures can be formed over the bitlines. The surround gate transistor structures can be incorporated into memory devices, such as, for example, DRAM devices. The invention can be utilized for forming 4F2 DRAM devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd R. Abbott, H. Montgomery Manning
  • Patent number: 7262105
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device, a relatively deep germanium implant and activation thereof precedes deposition of the nickel for nickel silicide formation. The activation of the germanium causes the lattice constant in the region of the implant to be increased over the lattice constant of the background substrate, which is preferably silicon. The effect is that the lattice so altered avoids formation of nickel disilicide. The result is that the nickel silicide spiking is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Dharmesh Jawarani, Nigel G. Cave, Michael Rendon
  • Patent number: 7250374
    Abstract: A method and system for processing a substrate in a film removal system. The method includes providing the substrate in a substrate chamber of a film removal system, where the substrate has a micro-feature containing a dielectric film on a sidewall of the micro-feature and a photoresist film covering a portion the dielectric film, and performing a first film removal process using supercritical CO2 processing to remove the portion of the dielectric film not covered by the photoresist film. Following the first film removal process, a second film removal process using supercritical CO2 processing can be performed to remove the photoresist film. Alternately, wet processing can be used to perform one of the first film removal process or the second film removal process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Glenn Gale, Joseph T. Hillman, Gunilla Jacobson, Bentley Palmer
  • Patent number: 7247924
    Abstract: A method of modulating grain size in a polysilicon layer and devices fabricated with the method. The method comprises forming the layer of polysilicon on a substrate; and performing an ion implantation of a polysilicon grain size modulating species into the polysilicon layer such that an average resultant grain size of the implanted polysilicon layer after performing a pre-determined anneal is higher or lower than an average resultant grain size than would be obtained after performing the same pre-determined anneal on the polysilicon layer without a polysilicon grain size modulating species ion implant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. Geiss, Joseph R. Greco, Richard S. Kontra, Emily Lanning
  • Patent number: 7247546
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming a strained Si layer on SiGe, where the SiGe layer has improved thermal conductivity. A first layer of Si or Ge is deposited on a substrate in a first depositing step; a second layer of the other element is deposited on the first layer in a second depositing step; and the first and second depositing steps are repeated so as to form a combined SiGe layer having a plurality of Si layers and a plurality of Ge layers. The respective thicknesses of the Si layers and Ge layers are in accordance with a desired composition ratio of the combined SiGe layer (so that a 1:1 ratio typically is realized with Si and Ge layers each about 10 ? thick). The combined SiGe layer is characterized as a digital alloy of Si and Ge having a thermal conductivity greater than that of a random alloy of Si and Ge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen W. Bedell, Huajie Chen, Keith Fogel, Ryan M. Mitchell, Devendra K. Sadana
  • Patent number: 7221008
    Abstract: A NAND flash memory structure and method of making a flash memory structure with shielding in the bitline direction as well as in wordline and diagonal directions from Yupin effect errors and from disturbs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: SanDisk Corporation
    Inventors: George Matamis, Tuan Pham, Henry Chien, Hao Fang
  • Patent number: 7202173
    Abstract: Systems and methods may provide electrical contacts to an array of substantially vertically aligned nanorods. The nanorod array may be fabricated on top of a conducting layer that serves as a bottom contact to the nanorods. A top metal contact may be applied to a plurality of nanorods of the nanorod array. The contacts may allow I/V (current/voltage) characteristics of the nanorods to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Corporation Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Hantschel, Noble M. Johnson, Peter Kiesel, Christian G. Van De Walle, William S. Wong
  • Patent number: 7176069
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to reduce the consumption of materials for manufacturing a display device, simplify the manufacturing process and the apparatus used for it, and lower the manufacturing costs. The present invention provides a technique to manufacture a display device, applying a means to form a pattern such as a contact hole formed in a semiconductor film, a wiring or an insulating film, or a mask pattern to form such a pattern by drawing directly, a means to remove a film, such as etching and ashing, and a film forming means to selectively form an insulating film, a semiconductor film and a metal film on a predetermined region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yasuyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 7166862
    Abstract: In a monolithic active matrix circuit that uses offset-gate TFTs in which the gate electrode is offset from the source and drain regions or TFTs whose gate insulating film is formed by vapor deposition, not only an active matrix circuit but also a drive circuit therefor is formed by using P-channel TFTs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Koyama, Yuji Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 7157355
    Abstract: An implant is performed in the P channel regions, while masking the N channel regions, to deeply amorphize a layer at the surface of a semiconductor layer. After this amphorization step, germanium is implanted into the amorphized layer. The germanium is implanted to a depth that is less than the amorphization depth. This germanium-doped layer that is amorphous is heated so that it is recrystallized. The recrystallization results in a semiconductor layer that is silicon germanium (SiGe) and compressive. P channel transistors are then formed in this recrystallized semiconductor layer. This process can also be applied to the N channel side while masking the P channel side. In such case the implant would preferably be carbon instead of germanium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Smeiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Sinan Goktepeli
  • Patent number: 7132305
    Abstract: An array substrate for use in an in-plane switching liquid crystal display device has a plurality of common electrodes and a plurality of pixel electrodes. One of the common electrodes is formed at the same time with the plurality of pixel electrodes using a transparent conductive material. This transparent common electrode is connected to other common electrode through a common electrode connector. Therefore, aperture ratio can be increased. Further in the present invention, a capacitor electrode is disposed over the common line and then forms a first storage capacitor with a portion of the common line, and a pixel electrode connector is disposed over the gate line and then forms a second storage capacitor with a portion of the gate line. As a result, the IPS-LCD device can obtain an improved and stable capacitance from the two storage capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: LG. Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Hyoung Youn, Gue Tai Lee
  • Patent number: RE39988
    Abstract: A semiconductor doping process which enhances the dopant incorporation achievable using the Gas Immersion Laser Doping (GILD) technique. The enhanced doping is achieved by first depositing a thin layer of dopant atoms on a semiconductor surface followed by exposure to one or more pulses from either a laser or an ion-beam which melt a portion of the semiconductor to a desired depth, thus causing the dopant atoms to be incorporated into the molten region. After the molten region recrystallizes the dopant atoms are electrically active. The dopant atoms are deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) or other known deposition techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Paul Wickboldt, Paul G. Carey, Patrick M. Smith, Albert R. Ellingboe