Patents Examined by John A Bodnar
  • Patent number: 10658364
    Abstract: According to principles as discussed herein, an EEPROM cell is provided and then, after testing the code, using the exact same architecture, transistors, memory cells, and layout, the EEPROM cell is converted to a read-only memory (“ROM”) cell. This conversion is done on the very same integrated circuit die using the same layout, design, and timing with only a single change in an upper level mask in the memory array. In one embodiment, the mask change is the via mask connecting metal 1 to poly. This allows the flexibility to store the programming code as non-volatile memory code, and then after it has been tested, at time selected by the customer, some or all of that code from a code that can be written to a read-only code that is stored in a ROM cell that is composed the same transistors and having the same layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L., STMICROELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL N.V.
    Inventors: Fabio De Santis, Vikas Rana
  • Patent number: 10651203
    Abstract: To provide an input device and an input/output device with high detection sensitivity. The input device includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a capacitor, a node, a first wiring, a second wiring, a third wiring, and a fourth wiring. The first transistor includes a first gate and a second gate. The first and second gates of the first transistor overlap with each other with a semiconductor film therebetween. The second gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to the node. The first wiring is electrically connected to the second wiring through the first transistor. The third wiring is electrically connected to the node through the second transistor. A first terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the node, and a second terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the fourth wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Kaneyasu
  • Patent number: 10648879
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a capacitive pressure sensor. The capacitive pressure sensor can include a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface, a movable plate at a bottom of a first cavity recessed into the substrate from the first surface, and a second substrate bonded to the first substrate over the first surface. A second cavity is formed between the movable plate and the second surface. The second substrate includes a fixed plate disposed over the movable plate to form a capacitor. The second substrate further includes a third cavity between a surface of the fixed plate opposite to the movable plate and a surface of the second substrate opposite to the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Inventors: Kathirgamasundaram Sooriakumar, Anu Austin, Ian Rose Bihag, Dieter Naegele-Preissmann
  • Patent number: 10651315
    Abstract: A method to fabricate a three dimensional memory structure may include creating a stack of layers including a conductive source layer, a first insulating layer, a select gate source layer, and a second insulating layer, and an array stack. A hole through the stack of layers may then be created using the conductive source layer as a stop-etch layer. The source material may have an etch rate no faster than 33% as fast as an etch rate of the insulating material for the etch process used to create the hole. A pillar of semiconductor material may then fill the hole, so that the pillar of semiconductor material is in electrical contact with the conductive source layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenyu Lu, Hongbin Zhu, Gordon A Haller, Roger W. Lindsay, Andrew Bicksler, Brian J. Cleereman, Minsoo Lee
  • Patent number: 10644119
    Abstract: A semiconductor layer (2,3) is provided on a substrate (1). A gate electrode (4), a source electrode (5) and a drain electrode (6) are provided on the semiconductor layer (3). A first passivation film (7) covers the gate electrode (4) and the semiconductor layer (3). A source field plate (9) is provided on the first passivation film (7), and extends from the source electrode (5) to a space between the gate electrode (4) and the drain electrode (6). A second passivation film (10) covers the first passivation film (7) and the source field plate (9). The first passivation film (7) has a quasi-conductive thin film (8) provided at least between the gate electrode (4) and the drain electrode (6) and having an electric resistivity of 1.0 ?cm to 1010 ?cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hajime Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10644063
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a transistor array including a substrate and a plurality of transistor elements sharing the substrate. Each of the transistor elements includes: a bottom electrode disposed on the substrate and a connection wire for the bottom electrode; a piezoelectric body disposed on the bottom electrode, wherein the piezoelectric body is made of piezoelectric material; and a top electrode disposed on the piezoelectric body. The disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing a transistor array. The transistor array contains transistor elements which are two-terminal devices. Piezoelectric bodies with piezoelectric properties are provided between the top electrodes and bottom electrodes of the transistor array. The carrier transport progress of the transistor elements in the transistor array device can be effectively regulated or triggered by strains or stresses applied on the transistor elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems
    Inventors: Zhonglin Wang, Wenzhuo Wu, Xiaonan Wen
  • Patent number: 10629538
    Abstract: A modular interconnect structure facilitates building complex, yet compact, integrated circuits from vertical GAA FETs. The modular interconnect structure includes annular metal contacts to the transistor terminals, sectors of stacked discs extending radially outward from the vertical nanowires, and vias in the form of rods. Extension tabs mounted onto the radial sector interconnects permit signals to fan out from each transistor terminal. Adjacent interconnects are linked by linear segments. Unlike conventional integrated circuits, the modular interconnects as described herein are formed at the same time as the transistors. Vertical GAA NAND and NOR gates provide building blocks for creating all types of logic gates to carry out any desired Boolean logic function. Stacked vertical GAA FETs are made possible by the modular interconnect structure. The modular interconnect structure permits a variety of specialized vertical GAA devices to be integrated on a silicon substrate using standard CMOS processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: John H. Zhang
  • Patent number: 10622456
    Abstract: The present application provides a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The method includes: sequentially forming a buffer layer and a barrier layer on a substrate, wherein a two-dimensional electron gas is formed between the buffer layer and the barrier layer; etching a source region and a drain region of the barrier layer to form a trench on the buffer layer, and doped layers are formed on the trench; forming a passivation layer on the barrier layer and the doped layers, and etching the passivation layer to expose a portion of the barrier layer, wherein the portion of the barrier layer is in contact with the doped layers; and doping ions into a portion of the buffer layer in contact with the portion of the buffer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: SUZHOU HANHUA SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xianfeng Ni, Qian Fan, Wei He
  • Patent number: 10622262
    Abstract: A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) CMOS transistor and a SOI heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) are fabricated on the same semiconductor substrate. First and second SOI regions are formed over the semiconductor substrate. A SOI CMOS transistor is fabricated in the first SOI region, and a collector region of the SOI HBT is fabricated in the second SOI region. The collector region can be formed by performing a first implant to a local collector region in the second SOI region, and performing a second implant to an extrinsic collector region in the second SOI region, wherein the extrinsic collector region is separated from the local collector region. A SiGe base is formed over the collector region, wherein a dielectric structure separates portions of the SiGe region and the extrinsic collector region. The SOI CMOS transistor and SOI HBT may be used to implement a front end module of an RF system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Newport Fab LLC
    Inventors: Edward J. Preisler, Paul D. Hurwitz, Marco Racanelli, David J. Howard
  • Patent number: 10622561
    Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor technique, and more particularly, to a variable resistor, a non-volatile memory device using the same, and a method of fabricating the same. The variable resistor may include a first electrode including titanium (Ti); a second electrode for forming a Schottky barrier; and a stacked structure including an oxygen-deficient hafnium oxide film (HfO2-x, 0<x<2) between the first electrode and the second electrode, an oxygen-deficient titanium oxide (TiOx) film between the oxygen-deficient hafnium oxide film and the first electrode, and a stoichiometric tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) film between the oxygen-deficient hafnium oxide film and the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Seoul National University R&DB foundation
    Inventors: Cheol Seong Hwang, Jung Ho Yoon
  • Patent number: 10622338
    Abstract: An embodiment relates to a light emitting element package and display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chang Man Lim, Sang Hoon Lee, Hwan Hee Jeong
  • Patent number: 10597286
    Abstract: A monolithic vapor chamber heat dissipating device uses a phase change liquid and one or more wicks to dissipate heat from a heat-generating system. The phase change liquid and one or more wicks may be directly coupled to the heat-generating system, or may be coupled to an intermediate evaporator substrate. The phase change liquid vaporizes as it absorbs heat from the heat-generating system. When the vapor rises and encounters a condenser substrate, the vapor condenses and transfers the heat to the condenser substrate. The condensed vapor is drawn by gravity and the one or more wicks to the phase change liquid coupled to the heat-generating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Analog Devices Global
    Inventors: Baoxing Chen, William Allan Lane, Marc T. Dunham
  • Patent number: 10600959
    Abstract: Reversible phase transitions of exceptional magnitude may be induced in correlated metal oxides by altering their chemical compositions through reversible introduction of dopant ions and electronic carriers into the correlated metal oxides. One or more catalyst electrodes may be deposited onto a surface of a film of a correlated metal oxide such as a perovskite or a transition metal oxide. Dopant ions and electronic carriers may be electrochemically introduced into the catalyst-deposited correlated metal oxide, for example by annealing the catalyst-deposited film of correlated metal oxide in a chamber containing the dopant molecules. In this way, a reversible phase transition of about five to eight orders of magnitude may be induced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: Jian Shi, You Zhou, Shriram Ramanathan
  • Patent number: 10573563
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method for fabricating the semiconductor structure are provided. The method includes providing a base substrate, and forming an interlayer dielectric layer on the base substrate and having an opening exposing surface portions of the base substrate. The method also includes forming a stacked structure on a bottom and sidewall of the opening and on a top of the interlayer dielectric layer. In addition, the method includes removing at least a first portion of the stacked structure from the top of the interlayer dielectric layer. Further, the method includes performing an annealing treatment on the base substrate, and forming a gate structure by filling the opening with a metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventor: Yong Li
  • Patent number: 10559598
    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: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kengo Akimoto, Shigeki Komori, Hideki Uochi, Tomoya Futamura, Takahiro Kasahara
  • Patent number: 10559693
    Abstract: New device structure for single-legged Silicon-On-Insulator Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (SOI MOS) transistor is presented. This new structure imposes a hard barrier for an Impact-Ionizations current and for transients due to Single-Event-Effects (SEE's) in Body to laterally conduct (or diffuse) to the Source through the Body/Source junction. It forces these currents to conduct instead to the Source through an alternate path made of highly conductive Silicide. This alternate path effectively suppresses the latch-up of the built-in parasitic Bipolar structure without necessitating the incorporation of Body-Tied-Source (BTS) into the device layout which is known to increase the device periphery without correspondingly scaling its device current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Inventor: Ahmad Houssam Tarakji
  • Patent number: 10559585
    Abstract: A vertical memory device includes a conductive pattern structure on a first region of a substrate, the conductive pattern structure including a stack of interleaved conductive patterns and insulation layers. A pad structure is disposed on a second region of the substrate adjacent the first region of the substrate wherein edges of the conductive patterns are disposed at spaced apart points along a first direction to provide conductive pads arranged as respective steps in a staircase arrangement. A plurality of channel structures extends through the conductive pattern structure and a plurality of dummy channel structures extends through the pad structure. Respective contact plugs are disposed on the conductive pads. Numbers of the dummy channel structures per unit area passing through the conductive pads vary. Widths of the dummy channel structures passing through the conductive pads may also vary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyoung-Hoon Kim, Hong-Soo Kim, Tae-Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 10559546
    Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a semiconductor device package, which includes a substrate with a contact pad. A non-solder ball is coupled to the contact pad at a contact pad interface surface. A layer of solder is disposed over an outer surface of the non-solder ball, and has an inner surface and an outer surface which are generally concentric with the outer surface of the non-solder ball. An intermediate layer separates the non-solder ball and the layer of solder. The intermediate layer is distinct in composition from both the non-solder ball and the layer of solder. Sidewalls of the layer of solder are curved or sphere-like and terminate at a planar surface, which is disposed at a maximum height of the layer of solder as measured from the contact pad interface surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Hua Yu, Chung-Shi Liu, Ming-Da Cheng, Mirng-Ji Lii, Meng-Tse Chen, Wei-Hung Lin
  • Patent number: 10541309
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is disclosed. The semiconductor structure includes first and second metal gates on a substrate with a gap therebetween. The first metal gate has a first sidewall, and the second metal gate has a second sidewall directly facing the first sidewall. A contact etch stop layer (CESL) is disposed within the gap and extends along the first and second sidewalls. The CESL has a first top portion adjacent to a top surface of the first metal gate and a second top portion adjacent to a top surface of the second metal gate. The first top portion and the second top portion have a trapezoid cross-sectional profile. A first sidewall spacer is disposed on the first sidewall and between the CESL and the first metal gate. A second sidewall spacer is disposed on the second sidewall and between the CESL and the second metal gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP
    Inventors: Yi-Fan Li, Kuo-Chin Hung, Wen-Yi Teng, Ti-Bin Chen
  • Patent number: 10529580
    Abstract: A semiconductor device structure and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a semiconductor substrate having an active component region and a non-active component region, a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, high resistivity metal segments, dummy stacked structures and a metal connection structure. The high resistivity metal segments are formed in the second dielectric layer and located in the non-active component region. The dummy stacked structures are located in the non-active component region, and at least one dummy stacked structure penetrates through the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer and is located between two adjacent high resistivity metal segments. The metal connection structure is disposed on the second dielectric layer, and the high resistivity metal segments are electrically connected to one another through the metal connection structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Ching-Wen Hung