Patents Examined by Jesse Y Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 10714772
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell, a cooling system, a rotating speed acquisition part acquiring a rotating speed of the refrigerant pump, a power consumption acquisition part acquiring a power consumption of the refrigerant pump, and a controller configured to receive a rotating speed acquired by the rotating speed acquisition part and control the refrigerant pump. The controller has stored therein a predetermined correspondence between rotating speeds of the refrigerant pump and power consumption threshold values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Nishida, Tomotaka Ishikawa, Keitaro Yamamori
  • Patent number: 10714769
    Abstract: A fuel cell system, comprising: a fuel cell stack including a stacked body provided by stacking a plurality of cells in a stacking direction; a compressor configured to feed a purge gas to a cathode of the fuel cell stack; a controller configured to control the compressor, such as to perform stop-time purging that purges the cathode of the fuel cell stack when operation of the fuel cell system is stopped; a first temperature gauge configured to measure a first temperature value that reflects temperature of a cell placed near a center in the stacking direction among the plurality of cells constituting the stacked body and to input the measured first temperature value into the controller; and a second temperature gauge configured to measure a second temperature value that reflects temperature of a cell placed near an end in the stacking direction among the plurality of cells constituting the stacked body and to input the measured second temperature value into the controller, wherein the controller is configured
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Hasegawa, Masashi Toida
  • Patent number: 10693023
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an imaging apparatus includes: preparing a substrate comprising a wafer and a silicon layer arranged on the wafer, the wafer including a first semiconductor region made of single crystal silicon with an oxygen concentration not less than 2×1016 atoms/cm3 and not greater than 4×1017 atoms/cm3, the silicon layer including a second semiconductor region made of single crystal silicon with an oxygen concentration lower than the oxygen concentration in the first semiconductor region; annealing the substrate in an atmosphere containing oxygen and setting the oxygen concentration in the second semiconductor region within the range not less than 2×1016 atoms/cm3 and not greater than 4×1017 atoms/cm3; and forming a photoelectric conversion element in the second semiconductor region after the annealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro Shoyama, Hiroshi Takakusagi, Yasuo Yamazaki, Hideaki Ishino, Toshiyuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10680054
    Abstract: An organic light-emitting display device includes: a substrate on which a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area are defined, the display area includes a main area and at least one protruding area, and a plurality of pixels is in the display area; a first signal line on the substrate in the main area to provide signals to the plurality of pixels; a second signal line on the substrate in the protruding area to provide signals to the plurality of pixels; a compensation line on the substrate in the non-display area and electrically connected to the second signal line; and a bridge pattern over the second signal line and the compensation line in the non-display area and electrically connecting the second signal line with the compensation line, the bridge pattern including a double-bridge structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji Hyun Ka, Seung Ji Cha, Tae Hoon Kwon
  • Patent number: 10672708
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit (IC) having parallel conductive paths between a BEOL interconnect layer and a middle-end-of-the-line (MEOL) structure, which are configured to reduce a parasitic resistance and/or capacitance of the IC. The IC comprises source/drain regions arranged within a substrate and separated by a channel region. A gate structure is arranged over the channel region and a MEOL structure is arranged over one of the source/drain regions. A conductive structure is arranged over and in electrical contact with the MEOL structure. A first conductive contact is arranged between the MEOL structure and an overlying BEOL interconnect wire (e.g., a power rail). A second conductive contact is configured to electrically couple the BEOL interconnect wire and the MEOL structure along a conductive path extending through the conductive structure, thereby forming parallel conductive paths between the BEOL interconnect layer and the MEOL structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ni-Wan Fan, Ting-Wei Chiang, Cheng-I Huang, Jung-Chan Yang, Hsiang-Jen Tseng, Lipen Yuan, Chi-Yu Lu
  • Patent number: 10665586
    Abstract: A method of concurrently forming source/drain contacts (CAs) and gate contacts (CBs) and device are provided. Embodiments include forming metal gates (PC) and source/drain (S/D) regions over a substrate; forming an ILD over the PCs and S/D regions; forming a mask over the ILD; concurrently patterning the mask for formation of CAs adjacent a first portion of each PC and CBs over a second portion of the PCs; etching through the mask, forming trenches extending through the ILD down to a nitride capping layer formed over each PC and a trench silicide (TS) contact formed over each S/D region; selectively growing a metal capping layer over the TS contacts formed over the S/D regions; removing the nitride capping layer from the second portion of each PC; and metal filling the trenches, forming the CAs and CBs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Cheng Chi
  • Patent number: 10593844
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a light transmissive member; a first reflector covering outer peripheral faces of the light transmissive member; a light emitting element disposed under the light transmissive member; a light guiding member covering at least a portion of the light transmissive member, a portion of a lower face of the first reflector, and at least some portions of lateral faces of the light emitting element; and a second reflector covering a portion of the lower face of the first reflector that is exposed from the light guiding member and is located outward of the light guiding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadao Hayashi, Teruhito Azuma
  • Patent number: 10534393
    Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a method. A semiconductor substrate is provided and has a base region and a crown structure extending upwardly from the base region. A plurality of fins are formed to extend upwardly from an upper surface of the crown structure. A gate dielectric material is formed over upper surfaces and sidewalls of the plurality of the fins. A conductive electrode material is formed over upper surfaces and sidewalls of the gate dielectric material. An etch is performed to etch back the conductive electrode material so upper surfaces of etched back conductive electrodes reside below the upper surfaces of the plurality of fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yvonne Lin, Da-Wen Lin, Peter Huang, Paul Rousseau, Sheng-Jier Yang
  • Patent number: 10522714
    Abstract: An interface including roughness components for improving the propagation of radiation through the interface is provided. The interface includes a first profiled surface of a first layer comprising a set of large roughness components providing a first variation of the first profiled surface having a first characteristic scale and a second profiled surface of a second layer comprising a set of small roughness components providing a second variation of the second profiled surface having a second characteristic scale. The first characteristic scale is approximately an order of magnitude larger than the second characteristic scale. The surfaces can be bonded together using a bonding material, and a filler material also can be present in the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maxim S. Shatalov, Alexander Dobrinsky, Michael Shur, Remigijus Gaska
  • Patent number: 10515859
    Abstract: A method for forming semiconductor devices includes forming a highly doped region. A stack of alternating layers is formed on the substrate. The stack is patterned to form nanosheet structures. A dummy gate structure is formed over and between the nanosheet structures. An interlevel dielectric layer is formed. The dummy gate structures are removed. SG regions are blocked, and top sheets are removed from the nanosheet structures along the dummy gate trench. A bottommost sheet is released and forms a channel for a field effect transistor device by etching away the highly doped region under the nanosheet structure and layers in contact with the bottommost sheet. A gate structure is formed in and over the dummy gate trench wherein the bottommost sheet forms a device channel for the EG device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce B. Doris, Terence B. Hook, Junli Wang
  • Patent number: 10483085
    Abstract: Various embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for performing anisotropic ion beam etching to form arrays of channels. The channels may be formed in semiconductor material, and may be used in a gate-all-around device. Generally speaking, a patterned mask layer is provided over a layer of semiconductor material. Ions are directed toward the substrate while the substrate is positioned in two particular orientations with respect to the ion trajectory. The substrate switches between these orientations such that ions impinge upon the substrate from two opposite angles. The patterned mask layer shadows/protects the underlying semiconductor material such that the channels are formed in intersecting shadowed regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Ivan L. Berry, III, Thorsten Lill
  • Patent number: 10466731
    Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a two transistor band gap reference circuit. A first transistor includes a first source, a first drain, a first body region separating the first source from the first drain, and a first gate. The first drain and first gate are coupled to a DC supply terminal. The second transistor includes a second source, a second drain, a second body region separating the second source from the second drain, and a second gate. The second gate is coupled to the DC supply terminal, and the second drain is coupled to the first source. Body bias circuitry is configured to apply a body bias voltage to at least one of the first and second body regions. Other embodiments relate to FinFET devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yvonne Lin, Da-Wen Lin, Peter Huang, Paul Rousseau, Sheng-Jier Yang
  • Patent number: 10468422
    Abstract: A semiconductor device may include a source layer, a stack structure, a channel layer, a slit, and a source pick-up line. The source layer may include at least one groove in an upper surface thereof. The stack structure may be formed over the source layer. The channel layer may pass through the stack structure. The channel layer may be in contact with the source layer. The slit may pass through the stack structure. The slit may expose the groove of the source layer therethrough. The source pick-up line may be formed in the slit and the groove. The source pick-up line may be contacted with the source layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Ki Hong Lee
  • Patent number: 10460985
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a process for forming a semiconductor structure. There is a back end of the line wiring layer which includes a wiring line, a cap layer and an ILD layer. A metal-filled via extends through the ILD layer to make contact with the wiring line. There is a reliability enhancement material in the cap layer. The reliability enhancement material surrounds the metal-filled via only in the cap layer to make a bottom of the metal-filled via that contacts the wiring line be under compressive stress, wherein the compressive reliability enhancement material has different physical properties than the cap layer. The reliability enhancement material may be compressive as deposited or may be made compressive after deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Baozhen Li, Xiao H. Liu, Kirk D. Peterson
  • Patent number: 10446571
    Abstract: A method used in forming a vertical string of memory cells and a conductive via comprises forming a first lower opening and a second lower opening into a lower material. A first material is formed within the first and second lower openings. An upper material is formed above the lower material and above the first material in the first and second lower openings. A first upper opening is formed through the upper material to the first material in the first lower opening. At least a majority of the first material is removed from the first lower opening through the first upper opening and channel material is formed within the first lower and first upper openings for the vertical string of memory cells being formed. After forming the channel material, a second upper opening is formed through the upper material to the first material in the second lower opening. Conductive material of the conductive via is formed within the second upper opening. Structure embodiments independent of method of formation are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hongbin Zhu, Gurtej S. Sandhu, Kunal R. Parekh
  • Patent number: 10438974
    Abstract: According to an exemplary embodiment, a display substrate includes a gate metal pattern comprising a gate electrode, an active pattern disposed on the gate pattern and a source metal pattern disposed on the active pattern. The source metal pattern includes a first lower pattern disposed on the active pattern, a second lower pattern disposed on the first lower pattern, a low-resistance metal pattern disposed on the second lower pattern, and an upper pattern disposed on the low-resistance metal pattern. The first lower pattern, the second lower pattern, and the upper pattern each include a material that is the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Gwang Jeong, Shin-Il Choi, Su-Bin Bae, Sung-Hoon Yang
  • Patent number: 10403628
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide improved methods and structures for fabrication of capacitor-less DRAM devices, sometimes referred to as ZRAM devices. A channel is formed in a fin-type field effect transistor (finFET) that is comprised of a finned channel portion and a convex channel portion. The finned channel portion may be comprised of a first semiconductor material and the convex channel portion may be comprised of a second, different semiconductor material. In embodiments, a metal gate is disposed around the elongated surface of the channel region, but is not disposed on the short surface of the channel region. A first spacer is disposed adjacent to the gate and in direct physical contact with the short surface of the channel region, and a second spacer is disposed adjacent to the first spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ravikumar Ramachandran, Reinaldo Ariel Vega
  • Patent number: 10373970
    Abstract: A semiconductor device structure comprises stacked tiers each comprising at least one conductive structure and at least one insulating structure longitudinally adjacent the at least one conductive structure, at least one staircase structure having steps comprising lateral ends of the stacked tiers, and at least one opening extending through the stacked tiers and continuously across an entire length of the at least one staircase structure. The at least one conductive structure of each of the stacked tiers extends continuously from at least one of the steps of the at least one staircase structure and around the at least one opening to form at least one continuous conductive path extending completely across each of the stacked tiers. Additional semiconductor device structures, methods of faulting semiconductor device structures, and electronic systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric N. Lee
  • Patent number: 10347819
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device include forming a conductive layer on a substrate, forming an air gap or other cavity between the conductive layer and the substrate, and patterning the conductive layer to expose the air gap. The methods may further include forming conductive pillars between the substrate and the conductive layer. The air gap may be positioned between the conductive pillars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jongchul Park, Byoungjae Bae, Inho Kim, Shin Kwon, Eunsun Noh, Insun Park, Sangmin Lee
  • Patent number: 10340147
    Abstract: A downsized semiconductor device having an excellent reverse characteristic, and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device is sought to improve. The semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor body having a polygonal contour. An active area is formed in the semiconductor body. An EQR electrode is formed so as to surround the active area and to have curved portions of the EQR electrode along the corners of the semiconductor body. An interlayer insulating film is formed to cover the active area and the EQR electrode. The EQR electrode is embedded in the interlayer insulating film around the active area. EQR contacts are in contact with the curved portions of the EQR electrode and the semiconductor body outside the curved portions, and have at least side walls covered with the interlayer insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kouichi Murakawa