Patents Examined by Joseph C Nicely
  • Patent number: 11737260
    Abstract: A memory device includes a substrate, an active region, a first gate structure, a second gate structure, a first word line, and a second word line. The active region protrudes from a top surface of the substrate. The active region has at least one ring structure, in which when viewed from above, the ring structure has a first linear portion, a second linear portion, a first curved portion, and a second curved portion, the first curved portion connects first sides of the first and second linear portions, and the second curved portion connects second sides of the first and second linear portions. The first gate structure and the second gate structure are over the substrate and cross the active region. The first word line and the second word line are electrically connected to the first gate structure and the second gate structure, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hsin-Wen Su, Yu-Kuan Lin, Lien-Jung Hung, Ping-Wei Wang, Chia-En Huang
  • Patent number: 11735591
    Abstract: A method includes providing a structure having two fins extending from a substrate; an isolation structure isolating bottom portions of the fins; source/drain (S/D) features over each of the fins; a dielectric fin oriented lengthwise parallel to the fins and disposed between the two fins and over the isolation structure; a dummy gate stack over the isolation structure, the fins, and the dielectric fin; and one or more dielectric layers over sidewalls of the dummy gate stack. The method further includes removing the dummy gate stack to result in a gate trench within the one or more dielectric layers, wherein the dielectric fin is exposed in the gate trench; trimming the dielectric fin to reduce a width of the dielectric fin; and after the trimming, forming a high-k metal gate in the gate trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kuan-Ting Pan, Chih-Hao Wang, Shi Ning Ju, Jia-Chuan You, Kuo-Cheng Chiang
  • Patent number: 11735485
    Abstract: A method includes forming a deep well region of a first conductivity type in a substrate, implanting a portion of the deep well region to form a first gate, and implanting the deep well region to form a well region. The well region and the first gate are of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type. An implantation is performed to form a channel region of the first conductivity type over the first gate. A portion of the deep well region overlying the channel region is implanted to form a second gate of the second conductivity type. A source/drain implantation is performed to form a source region and a drain region of the first conductivity type on opposite sides of the second gate. The source and drain regions are connected to the channel region, and overlap the channel region and the first gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chi-Feng Huang, Chia-Chung Chen, Victor Chiang Liang, Mingo Liu
  • Patent number: 11728402
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an integrated circuit (IC) device, including: a semiconductor substrate having a top surface; a first source/drain feature and a second source/drain feature disposed on the semiconductor substrate; and a plurality of semiconductor layers including a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer. Each of the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer extends longitudinally in a first direction and connects the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature. The first semiconductor layer is stacked over the second semiconductor layer in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A length of the first semiconductor layer along the first direction is less than a length of the second semiconductor layer along the first direction. The IC device further includes a gate structure engaging center portions of the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jhon Jhy Liaw
  • Patent number: 11728427
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is described. The semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; an electrode structure on or in the semiconductor substrate, the electrode structure including an electrode and an insulating material that separates the electrode from the semiconductor substrate; and a strain-inducing material embedded in the electrode. The electrode structure adjoins a region of the semiconductor substrate through which current flows in a first direction during operation of the semiconductor device. The electrode is under either tensile or compressive stress in the first direction. The strain-inducing material either enhances or at least partly counteracts the stress of the electrode in the first direction. Methods of producing the semiconductor device are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Stefan Karner, Oliver Blank, Günter Denifl, Germano Galasso, Saurabh Roy, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Michael Stadtmueller
  • Patent number: 11728406
    Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device formed by the method are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes depositing a dummy dielectric layer on a fin extending from a substrate; depositing a dummy gate seed layer on the dummy dielectric layer; reflowing the dummy gate seed layer; etching the dummy gate seed layer; and selectively depositing a dummy gate material over the dummy gate seed layer, the dummy gate material and the dummy gate seed layer constituting a dummy gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: De-Wei Yu, Cheng-Po Chau, Yun Chen Teng
  • Patent number: 11723197
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor structure for a split gate flash memory cell and a method of manufacturing the same. The split gate flash memory cell provided by the present invention at least includes a select gate and a floating gate formed on the substrate, one side of the select gate is formed with an isolation wall, and the floating gate is on the other side of the isolation wall. An ion implantation region is formed in an upper portion of the substrate below the isolation wall, wherein the ion implantation type of the ion implantation region is different from the ion implantation type of the substrate. The manufactured split gate flash memory cell can reduce the influence of the channel inversion region on the channel current, thereby improving the characteristics of the channel current of the flash cell and optimizing the device performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Shanghai Huali Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Lei Zhang, Tao Hu, Xiaochuan Wang, Zhi Tian, Qiwei Wang, Haoyu Chen
  • Patent number: 11715783
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method and semiconductor device is described, including forming a plurality of gaps of variable size between device features, each of the gaps including vertical sidewalls perpendicular to a substrate surface and a horizontal surface parallel to the substrate surface. Spacer material is directionally deposited concurrently on the horizontal surface in each gap and in a flat area using a total flow rate of gaseous precursors that minimizes gap-loading in a smallest gap compared to the flat area such that the spacer material is deposited on the substrate surface in each gap and in the flat area to a uniform thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael P. Belyansky, Oleg Gluschenkov
  • Patent number: 11710777
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes depositing a film over a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is over a first fin, a second fin, and within a trench between the first fin and the second fin. The method further includes etching top portions of the film, performing a treatment on the dielectric layer to remove impurities after etching the top portions of the film, and filling the trench over the remaining portions of the film. The treatment includes bombarding the dielectric layer with radicals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chia-Ao Chang, De-Wei Yu, Chii-Horng Li, Yee-Chia Yeo, Hsueh-Chang Sung, Pei-Ren Jeng
  • Patent number: 11710812
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a light-emitting element having a first-type semiconductor layer, a second-type semiconductor layer, an active stack between the first-type semiconductor layer and the second-type semiconductor layer, a bottom surface, and a top surface. A first electrode is disposed on the bottom surface and electrically connected to the first-type semiconductor layer. A second electrode is disposed on the bottom surface and electrically connected to the second-type semiconductor layer. A supporting structure is disposed on the top surface. The supporting structure has a thickness and a maximum width. A ratio of the maximum width to the thickness is of 2˜150.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: EPISTAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Min-Hsun Hsieh, Hsin-Mao Liu, Ying-Yang Su
  • Patent number: 11699751
    Abstract: A parasitic capacitance and a leak current in a nitride semiconductor device are reduced. For example, a 100 nm-thick buffer layer made of AlN, a 2 ?m-thick undoped GaN layer, and 20 nm-thick undoped AlGaN having an Al composition ratio of 20% are epitaxially grown in this order on, for example, a substrate made of silicon, and a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed so as to be in ohmic contact with the undoped AlGaN layer. Further, in the undoped GaN layer and the undoped AlGaN layer immediately below a gate wire, a high resistance region, the resistance of which is increased by, for example, ion implantation with Ar or the like, is formed, and a boundary between the high resistance region and an element region is positioned immediately below the gate wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Umeda, Kazuhiro Kaibara, Satoshi Tamura
  • Patent number: 11699733
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a first gate-all-around (GAA) transistor over a first region of a substrate and a second GAA transistor over a second region of the substrate. The first GAA transistor includes a plurality of first channel members stacked along a first direction vertical to a top surface of the substrate and a first gate structure over the plurality of first channel members. The second GAA transistor includes a plurality of second channel members stacked along a second direction parallel to the top surface of the substrate and a second gate structure over the plurality of second channel members. The plurality of first channel members and the plurality of second channel members comprise a semiconductor material having a first crystal plane and a second crystal plane different from the first crystal plane. The first direction is normal to the first crystal plane and the second direction is normal to the second crystal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng-Ting Chung, Ching-Wei Tsai, Kuan-Lun Cheng
  • Patent number: 11694960
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques and configurations for layered interconnect structures for bridge interconnection in integrated circuit assemblies. In one embodiment, an apparatus may include a substrate and a bridge embedded in the substrate. The bridge may be configured to route electrical signals between two dies. An interconnect structure, electrically coupled with the bridge, may include a via structure including a first conductive material, a barrier layer including a second conductive material disposed on the via structure, and a solderable material including a third conductive material disposed on the barrier layer. The first conductive material, the second conductive material, and the third conductive material may have different chemical composition. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Yueli Liu, Qinglei Zhang, Amanda E. Schuckman, Rui Zhang
  • Patent number: 11694986
    Abstract: A composite integrated circuit (IC) device structure comprising a host chip and a chiplet. The host chip comprises a first device layer and a first metallization layer. The chiplet comprises a second device layer and a second metallization layer that is interconnected to transistors of the second device layer. A top metallization layer comprising a plurality of first level interconnect (FLI) interfaces is over the chiplet and host chip. The chiplet is embedded between a first region of the first device layer and the top metallization layer. The first region of the first device layer is interconnected to the top metallization layer by one or more conductive vias extending through the second device layer or adjacent to an edge sidewall of the chiplet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Adel Elsherbini, Patrick Morrow, Johanna Swan, Shawna Liff, Mauro Kobrinksy, Van Le, Gerald Pasdast
  • Patent number: 11695035
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the semiconductor structure are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a dummy gate structure on the substrate. The substrate contains source-drain openings on both sides of the dummy gate structure. The semiconductor structure also includes a first stress layer formed on a sidewall of a source-drain opening of the source-drain openings. Further, the semiconductor structure includes a second stress layer formed at a bottom of the source-drain opening and on the first stress layer. The second stress layer fully fills the source-drain opening, and stress of the first stress layer is less than stress of the second stress layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventor: Meng Zhao
  • Patent number: 11695068
    Abstract: Methods for manufacturing double-slanted gate connected field plates that allow for the simultaneous optimization of electric field distributions between gate and drain terminals and gate and source terminals are described. A technical benefit of manufacturing the double-slanted gate connected field plate using greyscale lithography is that fabrication costs may be substantially reduced by reducing the number of process steps required to form the double-slanted gate connected field plate. The source-side slope and the drain-side slope of the double-slanted gate connected field plate may be concurrently formed with two different slopes or two different step profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Insyt, Inc.
    Inventor: Kedar Patel
  • Patent number: 11688793
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit (IC) structure is provided. The method includes: etching a first recess and a second recess in a substrate; forming a sacrificial epitaxial plug in the first recess in the substrate; forming a first epitaxial feature and a second epitaxial feature respectively in the first recess and the second recess, wherein the first epitaxial feature is over the sacrificial epitaxial plug; forming a first source/drain epitaxial structure and a second source/drain epitaxial structure over the first epitaxial feature and the second epitaxial feature respectively; forming a gate structure laterally between the first source/drain epitaxial structure and the second source/drain epitaxial structure; removing the sacrificial epitaxial plug and the first epitaxial feature to form a backside via opening exposing a backside of the first source/drain epitaxial structure; and forming a backside via in the backside via opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Wei-Hao Lu, Chien-I Kuo, LI-Li Su, Wei-Yang Lee, Yee-Chia Yeo
  • Patent number: 11690211
    Abstract: Described herein are IC devices that include TFT based memory arrays on both sides of a layer of logic devices. An example IC device includes a support structure (e.g., a substrate) on which one or more logic devices may be implemented. The IC device further includes a first memory cell on one side of the support structure, and a second memory cell on the other side of the support structure, where each of the first memory cell and the second memory cell includes a TFT as an access transistor. Providing TFT based memory cells on both sides of a layer of logic devices allows significantly increasing density of memory cells in a memory array having a given footprint area, or, conversely, significantly reducing the footprint area of the memory array with a given memory cell density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Wilfred Gomes, Mauro J. Kobrinsky, Conor P. Puls, Kevin Fischer, Bernhard Sell, Abhishek A. Sharma, Tahir Ghani
  • Patent number: 11688749
    Abstract: An image sensing device is provided to include a substrate, a photoelectric conversion region disposed in the substrate and configured to generate photocharges in response to incident light, a floating diffusion (FD) region disposed in the substrate and configured to store the photocharges generated in the photoelectric conversion region, and first and second transfer gates having portions disposed to overlap each other and configured to transmit the photocharges from the photoelectric conversion region to the floating diffusion (FD) region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Donghyun Woo
  • Patent number: 11682638
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure is provided. A first inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer is formed overlying a molding layer. The first ILD layer is patterned to form a plurality of first openings. A first lower transmitter electrode and a first lower receiver electrode are formed by depositing a first metal material within the plurality of first openings. A first dielectric waveguide is formed overlying the first ILD layer, the first lower transmitter electrode and the first lower receiver electrode. A second ILD layer is formed overlying the first dielectric waveguide and includes a plurality of second openings. A second lower transmitter electrode and a second lower receiver electrode are formed by depositing a second metal material within the plurality of second openings. A second dielectric waveguide is formed overlying the second ILD layer, the second lower transmitter electrode and the second lower receiver electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Wen-Shiang Liao, Huan-Neng Chen