Patents Examined by Igwe U. Anya
  • Patent number: 11721594
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a fin disposed on a substrate, the fin including a channel region comprising a plurality of channels vertically stacked over one another, the channels comprising germanium distributed therein. The semiconductor structure further includes a gate stack engaging the channel region of the fin and gate spacers disposed between the gate stack and the source and drain regions of the fin, wherein each channel of the channels includes a middle section wrapped around by the gate stack and two end sections engaged by the gate spacers, wherein a concentration of germanium in the middle section of the channel is higher than a concentration of germanium in the two end sections of the channel, and wherein the middle section of the channel further includes a core portion and an outer portion surrounding the core portion with a germanium concentration profile from the core portion to the outer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD
    Inventors: Wei-Sheng Yun, Chih-Hao Wang, Jui-Chien Huang, Kuo-Cheng Chiang, Chih-Chao Chou, Chun-Hsiung Lin, Pei-Hsun Wang
  • Patent number: 11721734
    Abstract: An embodiment transistor comprises a semiconductor drain region delimited by a first trench, and, in the first trench, a first electrically conductive element electrically coupled to a node of application of a potential closer to a drain potential of the transistor than to a source potential of the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventor: Rosalia Germana-Carpineto
  • Patent number: 11721689
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor region having charge carriers of a first conductivity type; a transistor cell in the semiconductor region; a semiconductor channel region in the transistor cell and having a first doping concentration of charge carriers of a second conductivity type, wherein a transition between the semiconductor channel region and the semiconductor region forms a first pn-junction; a semiconductor auxiliary region in the semiconductor region and having a second doping concentration of charge carriers of the second conductivity type. A transition between the semiconductor auxiliary region and semiconductor region forms a second pn-junction positioned deeper in the semiconductor region as compared to the first pn-junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Johannes Georg Laven, Roman Baburske, Thomas Basler, Philip Christoph Brandt, Maria Cotorogea
  • Patent number: 11715789
    Abstract: A transistor and a diode are formed on a common semiconductor substrate; the semiconductor substrate has a transistor region and an outer peripheral region surrounding it; the transistor region is divided into a plurality of channel regions and a plurality of non-channel regions by a plurality of gate electrodes each having a stripe shape; each of the plurality of non-channel regions has a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer, a fifth semiconductor layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode; the third semiconductor layer and the fifth semiconductor layer are electrically connected to the second electrode via a contact hole; and the fifth semiconductor layer is selectively provided not to be in contact with an impurity layer of a first conductivity type that is provided in the outer peripheral region and defines a boundary with a cell region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Takahashi, Hidenori Fujii, Shigeto Honda
  • Patent number: 11715776
    Abstract: According to an embodiment a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer including first trenches and second trenches, a first gate electrode in the first trench, a second gate electrode in the second trench, a first gate electrode pad, a second gate electrode pad, a first wiring connecting the first gate electrode pad and the first gate electrode, and a second wiring connecting the second gate electrode pad and the second gate electrode. The semiconductor layer includes a first connection trench. Two first trenches adjacent to each other are connected to each other at end portions by the first connection trench. At least one of the second trenches is provided between the two first trenches. The second gate electrode in the at least one second trench is electrically connected to the second wiring between the two first trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoko Iwakaji, Tomoko Matsudai, Keiko Kawamura
  • Patent number: 11705447
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor part; first and second electrodes respectively on back and front surfaces of the semiconductor part; a control electrode provided inside a trench of the semiconductor part; a third electrode provided inside the trench; a diode element provided at the front surface of the semiconductor part; a resistance element provided on the front surface of the semiconductor part via an insulating film, the diode element being electrically connected to the second electrode; a first interconnect electrically connecting the diode element and the resistance element, the first interconnect being electrically connected to the third electrode; and a second interconnect electrically connecting the resistance element and the semiconductor part. The resistance element is connected in series to the diode element. The diode element is provided to have a rectifying property reverse to a current direction flowing from the resistance element to the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Katou, Tatsuya Nishiwaki, Kenya Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11700905
    Abstract: A monitoring system includes a shoe and a sole integrated into the shoe. The monitoring system also includes a connection mechanism attached to an underside of the sole and is shaped to connect the sole to a pedal. A pressure sensor is incorporated into the shoe that senses a force exerted on the pedal when the shoe is connected to the pedal through the connection mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: iFIT Inc.
    Inventors: Darren C. Ashby, Scott R. Watterson
  • Patent number: 11699744
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes; a semiconductor substrate; an emitter electrode provided on the semiconductor substrate; a gate electrode provided on the semiconductor substrate; a drift layer of a first conduction type provided in the semiconductor substrate; a source layer of the first conduction type provided on an upper surface side of the semiconductor substrate; a base layer of a second conduction type provided on the upper surface side of the semiconductor substrate; a collector electrode provided below the semiconductor substrate; and a two-part dummy active trench including, at an upper part, an upper dummy part not connected with the gate electrode and including, at a lower part, a lower active part connected with the gate electrode and covered by an insulating film, in a trench of the semiconductor substrate, wherein a longitudinal length of the lower active part is larger than a width of the lower active part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya Konishi, Koichi Nishi, Akihiko Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11699756
    Abstract: Integrated circuit transistor structures are disclosed that reduce n-type dopant diffusion, such as phosphorous or arsenic, from the source region and the drain region of a germanium n-MOS device into adjacent shallow trench isolation (STI) regions during fabrication. The n-MOS transistor device may include at least 75% germanium by atomic percentage. In an example embodiment, the structure includes an intervening diffusion barrier deposited between the n-MOS transistor and the STI region to provide dopant diffusion reduction. In some embodiments, the diffusion barrier may include silicon dioxide with carbon concentrations between 5 and 50% by atomic percentage. In some embodiments, the diffusion barrier may be deposited using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), or physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques to achieve a diffusion barrier thickness in the range of 1 to 5 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Glenn A. Glass, Anand S. Murthy, Karthik Jambunathan, Cory C. Bomberger, Tahir Ghani, Jack T. Kavalieros, Benjamin Chu-Kung, Seung Hoon Sung, Siddharth Chouksey
  • Patent number: 11695065
    Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device in which the lifetime of holes is controlled and the switching loss is suppressed, and a method of manufacturing the same. Provided are a semiconductor substrate having a drift layer of a first conductivity type between a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, a first buffer layer of the first conductive type provided between the drift layer and the second main surface in contact with the drift layer, having a resistivity lower than that of the drift layer, and having an impurity concentration higher than that of the drift layer, and a high resistivity layer provided between the first buffer layer and the second main surface and having a resistivity higher than that of the drift layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Ze Chen
  • Patent number: 11677019
    Abstract: The present application provides an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device with narrow mesa and a manufacture thereof. The device comprises: a semiconductor substrate; gate trench structures and emitter trench structures formed on front surface of the semiconductor substrate and alternately arranged along with horizontal direction; wherein the gate trench structures and the emitter trench structures are respectively set in pair along with the arrangement direction, and the pairs of the gate trench structures and the pairs of the emitter trench structures are set in alternate arrangement along with the arrangement direction; well regions formed between the emitter trench structures of one pair; emitter injection regions formed between the gate trench structures of one pair and between the emitter trench structures of one pair, respectively; and wherein, in the region between the emitter trench structures of the one pair, the emitter injection region is above the well region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: SiEn (QingDao) Integrated Circuits Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Min-Hwa Chi, Ching-Ju Lin, Ying-Tsung Wu, Conghui Liu, Longkang Yang, Huan Wang, Richard Ru-Gin Chang
  • Patent number: 11670697
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate comprising a semiconductor fin, a gate structure over the semiconductor fin, and source/drain structures over the semiconductor fin and on opposite sides of the gate structure. The gate stack comprises a high-k dielectric layer; a first work function metal layer over the high-k dielectric layer; an oxide of the first work function metal layer over the first work function metal layer; and a second work function metal layer over the oxide of the first work function metal layer, in which the first and second work function metal layers have different compositions; and a gate electrode over the second work function metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hsin-Che Chiang, Ju-Yuan Tzeng, Chun-Sheng Liang, Chih-Yang Yeh, Shu-Hui Wang, Jeng-Ya David Yeh
  • Patent number: 11664465
    Abstract: The semiconductor device of the present invention includes a first conductivity type semiconductor layer made of a wide bandgap semiconductor and a Schottky electrode formed to come into contact with a surface of the semiconductor layer, and has a threshold voltage Vth of 0.3 V to 0.7 V and a leakage current Jr of 1×10?9 A/cm2 to 1×10?4 A/cm2 in a rated voltage VR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Aketa, Yuta Yokotsuji
  • Patent number: 11664434
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer structure and a gate formed in a gate trench in the semiconductor layer structure. The gate trench has a bottom surface comprising a first portion at a first level and a second portion at a second level, different from the first level. A method of forming a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor layer structure, etching a first gate trench into the semiconductor layer structure, etching a second gate trench into the semiconductor layer structure, and performing an ion implantation into a bottom surface of the second gate trench. The second gate trench is deeper than the first gate trench, and at least a portion of the second gate trench is connected to the first gate trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Woongsun Kim, Daniel Jenner Lichtenwalner, Sei-Hyung Ryu, Naeem Islam
  • Patent number: 11664405
    Abstract: Provided a semiconductor light detection element including: a semiconductor portion having a front surface including a light reception region that receives incident light and photoelectrically converting the incident light incident on the light reception region; a metal portion provided on the front surface; and a carbon nanotube film provided on the light reception region and formed by depositing a plurality of carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotube film extends over an upper surface of the metal portion from an upper surface of the light reception region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Kazuto Ofuji, Masashi Ito, Katsumi Shibayama, Akira Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11664448
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor chip; and a field effect transistor formed on the semiconductor chip and including a plurality of unit cells, which include at least one first unit cell including a first on-resistance component and a first feedback capacitance component, and at least one second unit cell including a second on-resistance component forming a parallel component with respect to the first on-resistance component and exceeding the first on-resistance component and a second feedback capacitance component forming a parallel component with respect to the first feedback capacitance component and being less than the first feedback capacitance component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Shinoda, Hajime Kataoka
  • Patent number: 11658237
    Abstract: A trench-gate power MOSFET with optimized layout, comprising: a substrate; a first semiconductor region formed on the substrate, having a first doping type; mutually separated trench isolation gate structure, formed on the first semiconductor region, the trench isolation gate structure includes an gate oxide layer and a gate electrode; a second semiconductor region and a third semiconductor region formed between any two adjacent structures of mutually separated trench isolation gate structures; and a first shielding region, formed under each of the third semiconductor regions, connecting simultaneously with multiple mutually separated trench isolation structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center
    Inventors: Na Ren, Kuang Sheng, Zhengyun Zhu, Hu Chen
  • Patent number: 11659738
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes: a first thin-film transistor (TFT) including a first semiconductor layer including a silicon semiconductor; a second TFT including a second semiconductor layer including an oxide semiconductor; a first shielding layer configured to overlap the first TFT and positioned between a substrate and the first TFT; and a second shielding layer configured to overlap the second TFT and positioned between the substrate and the second TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seongmin Wang, Youngin Hwang, Yongho Yang
  • Patent number: 11646209
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a wafer comprises: a scrubbing operation comprising treating a target wafer to be cleaned with a brush at a rotation rate of 200 rpm or less to prepare a brush cleaned wafer; and a cleaning operation comprising cleaning the brush cleaned wafer with a cleaning solution to prepare a cleaned bare wafer, wherein the cleaning operation comprises a first cleaning operation and a second cleaning operation sequentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: SENIC INC.
    Inventors: Jong Hwi Park, Il Hwan Yoo, Kap-Ryeol Ku, Jung-Gyu Kim, Jung Woo Choi, Eun Su Yang, Byung Kyu Jang, Sang Ki Ko
  • Patent number: 11640990
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the devices are provided. Semiconductor devices include a semiconductor layer structure comprising a trench in an upper surface thereof, a dielectric layer in a lower portion of the trench, and a gate electrode in the trench and on the dielectric layer opposite the semiconductor layer structure. The trench may include rounded upper corner and a rounded lower corner. A center portion of a top surface of the dielectric layer may be curved, and the dielectric layer may be on opposed sidewalls of the trench. The dielectric layer may include a bottom dielectric layer on a bottom surface of the trench and on lower portions of the sidewalls of the trench and a gate dielectric layer on upper portions of the sidewalls of the trench and on the bottom dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Lichtenwalner, Sei-Hyung Ryu, Naeem Islam, Woongsun Kim, Matt N. McCain, Joe McPherson