Patents Examined by Jerome Jackson
  • Patent number: 9219127
    Abstract: A SiC field effect transistor includes: a SiC semiconductor layer; and a MIS transistor structure including a first conductivity type source region in the semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type body region in the semiconductor layer in contact with the source region, a first conductivity type drift region in the semiconductor layer in contact with the body region, a gate electrode opposed to the body region with a gate insulation film interposed between the electrode and the body region for forming a channel in the body region to cause electric current to flow between the drift region and the source region, and a barrier forming layer in contact with the drift region to form a junction barrier by the contact with the drift region, the junction barrier being lower than a diffusion potential of a body diode defined by a junction between the body region and the drift region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuki Nakano
  • Patent number: 9199837
    Abstract: In an acoustic sensor, a diaphragm arranged on an upper side of a silicon substrate includes a back chamber, and an anchor supports the diaphragm. An insulating plate portion fixed to an upper surface of the silicon substrate covers the diaphragm with a gap. A conductive fixed electrode film arranged on a lower surface of the plate portion configures a back plate. The change in electrostatic capacitance between the fixed electrode film and the diaphragm outputs to the outside from a fixed side electrode pad and a movable side electrode pad as an electric signal. A protective film is arranged continuously with the plate portion at an outer periphery of the plate portion. The protective film covers the outer peripheral part of the upper surface of the silicon substrate, and the outer periphery of the protective film coincides with the outer periphery of the upper surface of the silicon substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Kasai, Nobuyuki Iida, Tomofumi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9202784
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a substrate structure layer including a substrate having a well and a diffusion region thereon, an interconnect layer including a pair of power supply lines arranged at a preset spacing from the substrate structure layer; the interconnect layer also including an input side interconnect and an output side interconnect between the pair of power supply lines, a standard cell having a logic circuit on the substrate; the logic circuit being electrically connected to the pair of power supply lines, the input side interconnect and the output side interconnect, and one or more capacitances arranged between the substrate structure layer and the interconnect layer and arranged in a region between the pair of power supply lines, the region being inclusive of a region superposed with the pair of power supply lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masatake Wada, Naoki Imakita
  • Patent number: 9202909
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source metallization, a source region of a first conductivity type in contact with the source metallization, a body region of a second conductivity type which is adjacent to the source region. The semiconductor device further includes a first field-effect structure including a first insulated gate electrode and a second field-effect structure including a second insulated gate electrode which is electrically connected to the source metallization. The capacitance per unit area between the second insulated gate electrode and the body region is larger than the capacitance per unit area between the first insulated gate electrode and the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Oliver Haeberlen, Joachim Krumrey, Franz Hirler, Walter Rieger
  • Patent number: 9202926
    Abstract: Provided is a thin film transistor having an oxide semiconductor layer that has high mobility, excellent stress resistance, and good wet etching property. The thin film transistor comprises at least, a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, an oxide semiconductor layer, source-drain electrode and a passivation film, in this order on a substrate. The oxide semiconductor layer is a laminate comprising a first oxide semiconductor layer (IGZTO) and a second oxide semiconductor layer (IGZO). The second oxide semiconductor layer is formed on the gate insulating film, and the first oxide semiconductor layer is formed between the second oxide semiconductor layer and the passivation film. The contents of respective metal elements relative to the total amount of all the metal elements other than oxygen in the first oxide semiconductor layer are as follows; In: 25% or less (excluding 0%); Ga: 5% or more; Zn: 30.0 to 60.0%; and Sn: 8 to 30%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoya Kishi, Kenta Hirose, Shinya Morita, Toshihiro Kugimiya
  • Patent number: 9196654
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of fabricating a vertical MOS transistor, comprising the steps of: forming, above a semiconductor surface, a conductive layer in at least one dielectric layer; etching a hole through at least the conductive layer, the hole exposing an inner lateral edge of the conductive layer and a portion of the semiconductor surface; forming a gate oxide on the inner lateral edge of the conductive layer and a bottom oxide on the portion of the semiconductor surface; forming an etch-protection sidewall on the lateral edge of the hole, the sidewall covering the gate oxide and an outer region of the bottom oxide, leaving an inner region of the bottom oxide exposed; etching the exposed inner region of the bottom oxide until the semiconductor surface is reached; and depositing a semiconductor material in the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventor: Philippe Boivin
  • Patent number: 9196800
    Abstract: The light-radiating semiconductor component has a radiation-emitting semiconductor body and a luminescence conversion element. The semiconductor body emits radiation in the ultraviolet, blue and/or green spectral region and the luminescence conversion element converts a portion of the radiation into radiation of a longer wavelength. This makes it possible to produce light-emitting diodes which radiate polychromatic light, in particular white light, with only a single light-emitting semiconductor body. A particularly preferred luminescence conversion dye is YAG:Ce.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: OSRAM GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrike Reeh, Klaus Höhn, Norbert Stath, Günter Waitl, Peter Schlotter, Jürgen Schneider, Ralf Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9196633
    Abstract: A protective circuit includes a non-linear element which includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer covering the gate electrode, a first oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with the gate electrode over the gate insulating layer, and a first wiring layer and a second wiring layer whose end portions overlap with the gate electrode over the first oxide semiconductor layer and in which a conductive layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer are stacked. Over the gate insulating layer, oxide semiconductor layers with different properties are bonded to each other, whereby stable operation can be performed as compared with Schottky junction. Thus, the junction leakage can be reduced and the characteristics of the non-linear element can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kengo Akimoto, Shigeki Komori, Hideki Uochi, Tomoya Futamura, Takahiro Kasahara
  • Patent number: 9190324
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a micro bump structure includes the following steps as follows. A substrate is provided and a under bump metallurgy (UBM) is formed on the substrate for accommodating a solder ball. A buffer layer is disposed on the substrate and then the solder ball is disposed on the UBM. Finally, the solder ball is grinded in order get the height reduced to a predetermined height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: CHIPMOS TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Tsung Jen Liao
  • Patent number: 9177908
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a capacitor in an integrated circuit which comprises a first and second conductive lines substantially parallel to each other and having a thickness equals substantially to a sum of a via thickness and an interconnect thickness, the first and second conductive lines, the via and the interconnect being formed by a single deposition step, and at least one dielectric material in a space horizontally across the first and second conductive lines, wherein the first and second conductive lines serve as two conductive plates of the capacitor, respectively, and the dielectric material serves as an insulator of the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Limited
    Inventor: Jhon Jhy Liaw
  • Patent number: 9171968
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state imaging device including a wafer in which a guard ring with conductivity in an insulation film layered on a first conductivity type substrate is formed between an edge portion of at least a first chip, out of the first chip and a second chip of a layered chip, and a scribe line region, at least two second conductivity type layers are formed at an interval within a region corresponding to the guard ring, in the first conductivity type substrate, and the guard ring includes a first guard ring part connected to one of the second conductivity type layers on a chip edge portion side, and a second guard ring part connected to another one of the second conductivity type layers on a scribe line side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Osamu Oka
  • Patent number: 9173255
    Abstract: An adaptive heating apparatus for heating a recreational vehicle, including a first heat unit configured to be powered by a first energy type, a second heat unit configured to be powered by a second energy type that is different than the first energy type, and a forced-air circulation unit. The adaptive heating apparatus is operable to employ the first heat unit during a first heating operation, or alternatively to employ the second heat unit during a second heating operation. The forced-air circulation unit is configured to circulate air through the both heat units during the first heating operation and to circulate air through both heating units during the second heating operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Inventor: Larry McGaugh
  • Patent number: 9172016
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the optical layer has a larger planar size than the semiconductor layer. The optical layer is transmissive to emission light of the light emitting layer. The first insulating film is provided on a side surface of the semiconductor layer continued from the first surface. The metal film includes a first reflective part covering the side surface of the semiconductor layer via the first insulating film. The metal film includes a second reflective part opposed to the optical layer in a region around the side surface of the semiconductor layer and extending from the first reflective part toward a side opposite from the side surface of the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideyuki Tomizawa, Akihiro Kojima, Miyoko Shimada, Yosuke Akimoto, Miyuki Shimojuku, Hideto Furuyama, Yoshiaki Sugizaki
  • Patent number: 9171924
    Abstract: A circuit configuration and methods for controlling parameters of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) fabricated on a substrate. A bias voltage is electrically coupled to the substrate and can be adjusted to alter the working parameters of a target BJT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries U.S. 2 LLC
    Inventors: Jin Cai, Tak H. Ning
  • Patent number: 9171974
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, in a semiconductor device, a semiconductor substrate has a first surface and a second surface which is opposed to the first surface. An insulating layer is provided on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate. A metal wiring is provided within the insulating layer. A support substrate is bonded to the insulating layer. A poly silicon electrode is connected to the metal wiring through a contact. A pad is provided on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate and is connected to the poly silicon electrode through a metal film deposited in a via-hole to penetrate the semiconductor substrate and extend to the poly silicon electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Koike
  • Patent number: 9165826
    Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device includes forming a high-k dielectric layer over a substrate; and forming a titanium nitride layer over the high-k dielectric layer. The method further includes performing a silicon treatment on the titanium nitride layer to form at least one silicon monolayer over the titanium nitride layer. The method further includes annealing the semiconductor device to form a TiSiON layer over a remaining portion of the titanium nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng-Hao Hou, Xiong-Fei Yu
  • Patent number: 9166070
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: an organic substrate; an integrated circuit and a chip part provided on the organic substrate; a molded section including a central portion and a peripheral portion, and forming, as a whole, a concave shape, the central portion sealing the integrated circuit and the chip part on the organic substrate, and the peripheral portion standing around the central portion; and a solid-state image pickup element provided on the central portion of the molded section, the solid-state image pickup element having a top edge that is lower in position in a thickness direction than a top edge of the peripheral portion of the molded section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9167360
    Abstract: An embodiment of a hearing assistance device comprises an enclosure that includes a faceplate and a shell attached to the faceplate, a power source, a flex antenna, a transmission line connected to the flex antenna, and radio circuit connected to the transmission line and electrically connected to the power source. The flex antenna has a shape of at least a substantially complete loop around the power source, and maintains separation from the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Beau Jay Polinske, Jorge F. Sanguino, Jay Rabel, Jeffrey Paul Solum, Michael Helgeson, David Tourtelotte
  • Patent number: 9157807
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer (2) and a dielectric stack (3) on the semiconductor layer. A plurality of etchant openings (24-1,2 . . . ) are formed through the dielectric stack (3) for passage of etchant for etching a plurality of overlapping sub-cavities (4-1,2 . . . ), respectively. The etchant is introduced through the etchant openings to etch a composite cavity (4) in the semiconductor layer by simultaneously etching the plurality of overlapping sub-cavities into the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Walter B. Meinel, Kalin V. Lazarov, Brian E. Goodlin
  • Patent number: 9159604
    Abstract: A method includes forming a recess in a substrate and filling a dielectric layer in the recess. The method further includes forming a capping layer over the substrate and the dielectric layer. A top portion of the capping layer is then removed, while leaving a bottom portion of the capping layer over the dielectric layer. A gate structure is then formed over the remaining capping layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yu-Lien Huang