Patents Examined by Joseph C Nicely
  • Patent number: 11967532
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a semiconductor fin over a substrate, forming a dummy gate stack over the semiconductor fin, depositing a dielectric layer over the dummy gate stack, and selectively etching the dielectric layer, such that a top portion and a bottom portion of the dielectric layer form a step profile. The method further includes removing portions of the dielectric layer to form a gate spacer and subsequently forming a source/drain feature in the semiconductor fin adjacent to the gate spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ta-Chun Lin, Kuo-Hua Pan, Chih-Yung Lin, Jhon Jhy Liaw
  • Patent number: 11967531
    Abstract: The present application relates to a semiconductor structure and its forming method. The semiconductor structure comprises a substrate; a first transistor that includes a first channel disposed within the substrate, and a first end disposed at surface of the substrate, the first end being adapted to connect with a first-type storage cell; a second transistor that includes a second channel disposed within the substrate, and a second end disposed at surface of the substrate, the second end being adapted to connect with a second-type storage cell, the second channel having a length greater than length of the first channel. The present application enables fabrication techniques of the first transistor and the second transistor compatible. Moreover, the present application is conducive to enhancing integration density of the storage cells of the first transistor and/or the second transistor in the memory lays foundation for enlarging the fields of application of the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Xiaoguang Wang, Yiming Zhu
  • Patent number: 11967621
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes forming an active region having a first portion which is doped. The method further includes forming a first silicide layer over and electrically coupled to the first portion of the active region. The method further includes forming a second silicide layer under and electrically coupled to the first portion of the active region. The method further includes forming a first metal-to-drain/source (MD) contact structure over and electrically coupled to the first silicide layer. The method further includes forming a first via-to-MD (VD) structure over and electrically coupled to the MD contact structure. The method further includes forming a buried via-to-source/drain (BVD) structure under and electrically coupled to the second silicide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chung-Hui Chen, Tung-Tsun Chen, Jui-Cheng Huang
  • Patent number: 11967533
    Abstract: A method includes forming a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin over a substrate that both extend along a first direction. The method includes forming a dielectric fin extending along the first direction and is disposed between the first and second semiconductor fins. The method includes forming a dummy gate structure extending along a second direction and straddling the first and second semiconductor fins and the dielectric fin. The method includes removing a portion of the dummy gate structure over the dielectric fin to form a trench by performing an etching process that includes a plurality of stages. Each of the plurality of stages includes a combination of anisotropic etching and isotropic etching such that a variation of a distance between respective inner sidewalls of the trench along the second direction is within a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shu-Uei Jang, Shu-Yuan Ku, Shih-Yao Lin
  • Patent number: 11967628
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, an isolation layer, a dielectric layer, an insulation layer, a conductor and a capping layer. The substrate has a concave portion. The isolation layer is located on a top surface of the substrate. The dielectric layer is located on the isolation layer. The insulation layer is located on a surface of the concave portion and extends to a sidewall of the isolation layer. The conductor is located on the insulation layer in the concave portion. The conductor has a first top surface and a second top surface, and the first top surface is closer to the dielectric layer than the second top surface. The capping layer is located in the concave portion and covers the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chih-Wei Huang, Hsu-Cheng Fan, En-Jui Li
  • Patent number: 11967643
    Abstract: A semiconductor is disclosed that may include: a first drift region; a base region arranged on the first semiconductor layer; a source region arranged on the base region; a main electrode electrically connected to the source region; and a gate electrode structure that penetrates the source region and base region and reaches the first drift region, wherein the gate electrode structure comprises: a gate electrode; and an insulating material that insulates the gate electrode from the first drift region and the base region; and a field plate structure reaching the first drift region deeper than the gate electrode structure, wherein the field plate structure comprises: a field plate; a resistive part that electrically connects the main electrode to the field plate; and an insulating material that insulates the field plate and the resistive part section from the first drift region and the base region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SANKEN ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taro Kondo, Shunsuke Fukunaga, Bungo Tanaka, Jun Yasuhara
  • Patent number: 11961895
    Abstract: A first semiconductor device includes an interfacial layer over a substrate, a first high-? dielectric layer over the interfacial layer, a second high-? dielectric layer over the first high-? dielectric layer, a Ti—Si mixing layer over the second high-? dielectric layer, and a gate electrode layer over the Ti—Si mixing layer. A second semiconductor device includes an interfacial layer over a substrate, a first high-? dielectric layer over the interfacial layer, a Ti—Si mixing layer over the first high-? dielectric layer, a second high-? dielectric layer over the Ti—Si mixing layer, and a gate electrode layer over the second high-? dielectric layer. The method includes forming an interfacial layer over a substrate, forming a first high-? dielectric layer over the interfacial layer, forming a second high-? dielectric layer over the first high-? dielectric layer, and forming a gate electrode layer over the second high-? dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ruqiang Bao, Ravikumar Ramachandran, Barry Linder, Shahab Siddiqui, Elnatan Mataev
  • Patent number: 11955369
    Abstract: An approach for creating a buried local interconnect around a DDB (double diffusion break) to reduce parasitic capacitance on a semiconductor device is disclosed. The approach utilizes a metal, as the local interconnect, buried in a cavity around the DDB region of a semiconductor substrate. The metal is disposed by two dielectric layers and the substrate. The two dielectric layers are recessed beneath two gate spacers. The buried local interconnect is recessed into the cavity where the top surface of the interconnect is situated below the top surface of the surrounding S/D (source/drain) epi (epitaxy). The metal of the local interconnect can be made from W, Ru or Co.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lan Yu, Chen Zhang, Huimei Zhou, Ruilong Xie
  • Patent number: 11957064
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) on a substrate, a spacer adjacent to the MTJ, a liner adjacent to the spacer, and a first metal interconnection on the MTJ. Preferably, the first metal interconnection includes protrusions adjacent to two sides of the MTJ and a bottom surface of the protrusions contact the liner directly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Hui-Lin Wang, Chen-Yi Weng, Yi-Wei Tseng, Chin-Yang Hsieh, Jing-Yin Jhang, Yi-Hui Lee, Ying-Cheng Liu, Yi-An Shih, I-Ming Tseng, Yu-Ping Wang
  • Patent number: 11948797
    Abstract: A lower resist (2) is applied on a semiconductor substrate (1). An upper resist (3) is applied on the lower resist (2). A first opening (4) is formed in the upper resist (3) by exposure and development and the lower resist (2) is dissolved with a developer upon the development to form a second opening (5) having a width wider than that of the first opening (4) below the first opening (4) so that a resist pattern (6) in a shape of an eave having an undercut is formed. Baking is performed to thermally shrink the upper resist (3) to bent an eave portion (7) of the upper resist (3) upward. After the baking, a metal film (8) is formed on the resist pattern (6) and on the semiconductor substrate (1) exposed at the second opening (5). The resist pattern (6) and the metal film (8) is removed on the resist pattern (6) and the metal film (8) is left on the semiconductor substrate (1) as an electrode (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Ueno, Masafumi Minami, Mitsunori Nakatani
  • Patent number: 11948842
    Abstract: A device includes a substrate; semiconductor fins extending from the substrate; a liner layer on sidewalls of the semiconductor fins; an etch stop layer over the substrate and extending laterally from a first portion of the liner layer on a first one of the semiconductor fins to a second portion of the line layer on a second one of the semiconductor fins; an isolation structure over the etch stop layer, wherein the etch stop layer and the isolation structure include different materials; a gate dielectric layer over a top surface of the isolation structure; and a dielectric feature extending through the gate dielectric layer and into the isolation structure, wherein the isolation structure and the dielectric feature collectively extend laterally from the first portion of the liner layer to the second portion of the line layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ming-Chang Wen, Chang-Yun Chang, Hsien-Chin Lin, Hung-Kai Chen
  • Patent number: 11949009
    Abstract: This application relates to semiconductor die including: a transistor device formed in an active area of a semiconductor body and having a channel region, a gate region, and a field electrode region, the gate region arranged laterally aside the channel region and having a gate electrode for controlling a current flow in the channel region, the gate electrode formed in a gate trench extending into the semiconductor body; and an additional device formed in an additional device area of the semiconductor body. A recess extends into the semiconductor body in the additional device area, and a semiconductor material is arranged in the recess in which the additional device is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Stanislav Vitanov, Jyotshna Bhandari, Georg Ehrentraut, Christian Ranacher
  • Patent number: 11949013
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a device includes: a semiconductor substrate having a channel region; a gate stack over the channel region; and an epitaxial source/drain region adjacent the gate stack, the epitaxial source/drain region including: a main portion in the semiconductor substrate, the main portion including a semiconductor material doped with gallium, a first concentration of gallium in the main portion being less than the solid solubility of gallium in the semiconductor material; and a finishing portion over the main portion, the finishing portion doped with gallium, a second concentration of gallium in the finishing portion being greater than the solid solubility of gallium in the semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Christopher Holland, Blandine Duriez, Marcus Johannes Henricus van Dal, Yasutoshi Okuno
  • Patent number: 11942498
    Abstract: An imaging device may include a plurality of single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) pixels. The SPAD pixels may be overlapped by square toroidal microlenses to direct light incident on the pixels onto photosensitive regions of the pixels. The square toroidal microlenses may be formed as first and second sets of microlenses aligned with every other SPAD pixel and may allow the square toroidal microlenses to be formed without gaps between adjacent lenses. Additionally or alternatively, a central portion of each square toroidal microlenses may be filled by a fill-in microlens. Together, the square toroidal microlenses and the fill-in microlenses may form convex microlenses over each SPAD pixel. The fill-in microlenses may be formed from material having a higher index of refraction than material that forms the square toroidal microlenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Marc Allen Sulfridge, Byounghee Lee, Ulrich Boettiger
  • Patent number: 11942479
    Abstract: A device includes a channel layer, a gate structure, a source/drain epitaxial structure, and a gate via. The gate structure wraps around the channel layer. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode over the gate dielectric layer. The source/drain epitaxial structure is adjacent the gate structure and is electrically connected to the channel layer. The gate via is under the gate structure and is in contact with a bottom surface of the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Yu-Lien Huang
  • Patent number: 11942431
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip including a first metal pad and a second metal pad; and a second semiconductor chip including a third metal pad and a fourth metal pad, the third metal pad joined to the first metal pad, the fourth metal pad coupled to the second metal pad via a dielectric layer, wherein the second semiconductor chip is coupled to the first semiconductor chip via the first metal pad and the third metal pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Momo, Keisuke Nakatsuka
  • Patent number: 11942320
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure. The method includes: providing a base; and forming a silicon nitride film layer on the base by an atomic layer deposition process, where the atomic layer deposition process includes multiple cyclic deposition steps; in each of the cyclic deposition steps, a silicon source gas and a nitrogen source gas are provided to a surface of the base; before each of the cyclic deposition steps, the method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure further includes a repair step; in the repair step, a repair gas is provided to the surface of the base, and the repair gas is a hydrogen-containing repair gas; the repair gas includes a polar molecule for repairing the surface of the base that is damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Kun Zhao
  • Patent number: 11935834
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device with a contact structure and a method for preparing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a source/drain structure disposed over a semiconductor substrate, and a dielectric layer disposed over the source/drain structure. The semiconductor device also includes a polysilicon stack disposed over the source/drain structure and surrounded by the dielectric layer. The polysilicon stack includes a first polysilicon layer and a second polysilicon layer disposed over the first polysilicon layer. The first polysilicon layer is undoped, and the second polysilicon layer is doped. The semiconductor device further includes a contact structure disposed directly over the polysilicon stack and surrounded by the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tse-Yao Huang
  • Patent number: 11935934
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device including a capping layer of a reduced thickness and capable of preventing regrowth of an interface layer caused by oxygen injection, and a method for fabricating the same. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the semiconductor device comprises: an interface layer on a substrate; a high-k layer on the interface layer; a gate electrode on the high-k layer; and a capping layer including a first oxygen barrier layer and a second oxygen barrier layer on the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Young Gwang Yoon
  • Patent number: 11935990
    Abstract: A light emitting diode including a side reflection layer. The light emitting diode includes: a semiconductor stack and a light exit surface having a roughened surface through which light generated from an active layer is emitted; side surfaces defining the light exit surface; and a side reflection layer covering at least part of the side surfaces. The light exit surface is disposed over a first conductivity type semiconductor layer opposite to the ohmic reflection layer, all layers from the active layer to the light exit surface are formed of gallium nitride-based semiconductors, and a distance from the active layer to the light exit surface is 50 ?m or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong Min Jang, Chae Hon Kim, Chang Youn Kim, Jae Hee Lim