Patents Examined by Joseph Schoenholtz
  • Patent number: 9378329
    Abstract: Approaches for checking a design of an integrated circuit using an antenna rule are provided. A method includes determining a figure of merit for a transistor based on a resistance of a shunt path of the transistor relative to the size of the antenna and the size of the transistor. The method also includes comparing the determined figure of merit to a limit. The method further includes deeming the transistor to pass the antenna rule when the figure of merit is less than the limit, and deeming the transistor to fail the antenna rule when the figure of merit is greater than the limit. The determining and the comparing are performed by a computer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zachary Henderson, Jason D. Hibbeler, Terence B. Hook, Nicholas Palmer, Kirk D. Peterson
  • Patent number: 9379079
    Abstract: The present invention provides a flip chip scheme and a method of forming the flip chip scheme. The flip chip scheme comprises: a plurality of bumps, some of the bumps arranged in a first pattern, respectively, and some of the bumps arranged in a second pattern different from the first pattern, respectively; wherein the first pattern is an equilateral triangle arranged by three bumps, and the second pattern is a square arranged by four bumps. The method comprises: arranging some of the bumps in a first pattern, respectively, and arranging some of the bumps in a second pattern different from the first pattern, respectively; wherein the first pattern is an equilateral triangle arranged by three bumps, and the second pattern is a square arranged by four bumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Jia-Wei Fang, Shen-Yu Huang
  • Patent number: 9373699
    Abstract: A III-N device is described with a III-N material layer, an insulator layer on a surface of the III-N material layer, an etch stop layer on an opposite side of the insulator layer from the III-N material layer, and an electrode defining layer on an opposite side of the etch stop layer from the insulator layer. A recess is formed in the electrode defining layer. An electrode is formed in the recess. The insulator can have a precisely controlled thickness, particularly between the electrode and III-N material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Transphorm Inc.
    Inventors: Rongming Chu, Robert Coffie
  • Patent number: 9373622
    Abstract: An CMOS device comprises a plurality of NMOS transistors and a plurality of PMOS transistors, each of which comprises a gate stack constituted of a gate insulating layer and a gate metal layer on a substrate, a source/drain region in the substrate on both sides of the gate stack and a channel region below the gate stack, wherein the gate metal layer of each NMOS transistor comprising a first barrier layer, an NMOS work function adjusting layer, a second barrier layer, and a filling layer, and wherein the gate metal layer of each PMOS transistor comprising a first barrier layer, a PMOS work function adjusting layer, an NMOS work function adjusting layer, a second barrier layer, and a filling layer, and wherein the first barrier layer in the gate metal layer of the NMOS transistor and the first barrier layer in the gate metal layer of the PMOS transistor contain a doping ion to finely adjust the work function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF MICROELECTRONICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Huaxiang Yin, Hong Yang, Qingzhu Zhang, Qiuxia Xu
  • Patent number: 9368556
    Abstract: An organic light emitting display device includes a plurality of pixels defined on a substrate. Each of the plurality of pixels has a plurality of sub-pixels, and each of the plurality of sub-pixels has a light emitting area and a driving area. Widths in a first direction of the driving areas of the plurality of sub-pixels are identical to each other. A size of a light emitting area of a first sub-pixel of the plurality of sub-pixels is greater than a size of a light emitting area of a second sub-pixel of the plurality of sub-pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: MoonJung Choi, SungJin Hong, Ilgi Jeong, JoongSun Yoon, Hobum Han
  • Patent number: 9362418
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures that include bodies of a semiconductor material spaced apart from an underlying substrate. The bodies may be physically separated from the substrate by at least one of a dielectric material, an open volume and a conductive material. The bodies may be electrically coupled by one or more conductive structures, which may be used as an interconnect structure to electrically couple components of memory devices. By providing isolation between the bodies, the semiconductor structure provides the properties of a conventional SOI substrate (e.g., high speed, low power, increased device density and isolation) while substantially reducing fabrication acts and costs associated with such SOI substrates. Additionally, the semiconductor structures of the present disclosure provide reduced parasitic coupling and current leakage due to the isolation of the bodies by the intervening dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, David H. Wells, Tuman E. Allen
  • Patent number: 9362275
    Abstract: A semiconductor and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device are provided. A semiconductor substrate is provided. A first oxide layer is formed over an active region. A first STI is formed to adjoin a first side of the active region, and a second STI is formed to adjoin a second side of the active region. A gate layer is formed over the first STI, the second STI and the first oxide layer. A masking element is formed over the gate layer. The gate layer is etched using the masking element to form a first gate electrode over the first oxide layer, a first dummy gate electrode over the first STI, and a second dummy gate electrode over the second STI. A width of the first gate electrode is smaller than a width of the first dummy gate electrode and a width of the second dummy gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Hao Chang, Chang-Li Lin
  • Patent number: 9355897
    Abstract: Methods of forming semiconductor structures that include bodies of a semiconductor material disposed between rails of a dielectric material are disclosed. Such methods may include filling a plurality of trenches in a substrate with a dielectric material and removing portions of the substrate between the dielectric material to form a plurality of openings. In some embodiments, portions of the substrate may be undercut to form a continuous void underlying the bodies and the continuous void may be filled with a conductive material. In other embodiments, portions of the substrate exposed within the openings may be converted to a silicide material to form a conductive material under the bodies. For example, the conductive material may be used as a conductive line to electrically interconnect memory device components. Semiconductor structures and devices formed by such methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: David H. Wells, Gurtej S. Sandhu
  • Patent number: 9356089
    Abstract: A structure and method for fabricating a laterally configured thin film varistor surge protection device using low temperature sputtering techniques which do not damage IC device components contiguous to the varistor being fabricated. The lateral thin film varistor may consist of a continuous layer of alternating regions of a first metal oxide layer and a second metal oxide layer formed between two laterally spaced electrodes using a low temperature sputtering process followed by a low temperature annealing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Gambino, Richard S. Graf, Sudeep Mandal
  • Patent number: 9349764
    Abstract: An embedded image sensor package includes a core layer having a cavity therein, an image sensor chip disposed in the cavity and having a top surface on which a light receiver and connection members are disposed, a first insulation layer disposed on a top surface of the core layer and the top surface of the image sensor chip and having an opening that defines a light receiving area including the light receiver, a protection layer disposed between the light receiver and the first insulation layer to surround the light receiver, and a light transmission layer disposed on the light receiver. The protection layer is disposed along edges of the light receiving area. Related methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: SK HYNIX INC.
    Inventors: Sang Yong Lee, Seung Hyun Lee
  • Patent number: 9343358
    Abstract: A first stack of alternating layers including first insulating layers and first sacrificial material layers is formed on a substrate. Dielectric oxide layers applying compressive stress are formed on the top surface of the first stack and on the bottom surface of the substrate. A second stack of alternating layers including second insulating layers and second sacrificial material layers is formed over the top dielectric oxide layer. After formation of lateral recesses by removal of the first and second sacrificial material layers, a bottom dielectric oxide layer is removed. A conductive material applying a tensile stress is deposited into the backside recesses to form electrically conductive layers. The compressive stress applied by the top dielectric oxide layer partially cancels the tensile stress applied by the electrically conductive layers, and reduces the curvature of the substrate that has a concave bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Jiyin Xu
  • Patent number: 9331103
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a substrate, a gate line disposed on the substrate and including a bottom gate electrode, a first insulating layer covering the gate line, an active member including a channel which is disposed on the first insulating layer and overlaps the bottom gate electrode and a source electrode and a drain electrode at both end sides of the channel, a pixel electrode on the same layer as the active member, a second insulating layer covering the active member and the pixel electrode, a data line on the second insulating layer and connected to the active member, a passivation layer covering the data line, where the active member and the pixel electrode include an oxide semiconductor and the first insulating layer is a silicon nitride layer which includes a fluorine atom in the range of about 10 atm % to about 35 atm %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sakae Tanaka, Hiroshi Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 9331080
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an N-type fin and a P-type fin on a substrate, a first gate electrode configured to cross the N-type fin and cover a side surface of the N-type fin, a second gate electrode configured to cross the P-type fin and cover a side surface of the P-type fin, a first source/drain on the N-type fin adjacent to the first gate electrode, a second source/drain on the P-type fin adjacent to the second gate electrode, a buffer layer on a surface of the second source/drain and including a material different from the second source/drain, an interlayer insulating layer on the buffer layer and the first source/drain, a first plug connected to the first source/drain and passing through the interlayer insulating layer, and a second plug connected to the second source/drain and passing through the interlayer insulating layer and the buffer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dail Eom, Sunjung Lee, Junghun Choi
  • Patent number: 9324800
    Abstract: A bidirectional trench FET device includes a semiconductor substrate, a trench in the substrate extending vertically from the surface of the substrate, and a body region laterally adjacent the trench. A source region is disposed in the semiconductor substrate between the body region and the surface of the substrate. A dielectric layer is disposed over the surface and a body electrode is disposed over the dielectric layer. A body contact plug extends through the dielectric layer to interconnect the body region with the body electrode, and the body contact plug is electrically isolated from the source region. Two separate metal layers are implemented to make multiple body and source contacts electrically isolated from one another throughout the active area of the device. The low resistive path by the body contact plug and the separate metal layers enables suppression of bipolar snapback without losing bidirectional switching capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Pon Sung Ku, Edouard D. De Frèsart, Ganming Qin, Moaniss Zitouni, Dragan Zupac
  • Patent number: 9318677
    Abstract: Embodiments include a light emitting device package. The light emitting device package comprises a housing including a cavity; a light emitting device positioned in the cavity; a lead frame including a first section electrically connected to the light emitting device in the cavity, a second section, which penetrates the housing, extending from the first section and a third section, which is exposed to outside air, extending from the second section; and a metal layer positioned on an area defined by a distance which is distant from the housing in the second section of the lead frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ki Bum Kim
  • Patent number: 9318692
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a piezoelectric layer interposed between a first metal layer and a hardmask layer. A first trench extends through the hardmask layer, the piezoelectric layer and the first metal layer. A self-limiting second trench extends through the hardmask layer and the piezoelectric layer without reaching the first metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian A. Bryce, Josephine B. Chang, Hiroyuki Miyazoe
  • Patent number: 9312216
    Abstract: To improve noise immunity of a semiconductor device. A wiring substrate of a semiconductor device includes a first wiring layer where a wire is formed to which signals are sent, and a second wiring layer that is mounted adjacent to the upper layer or the lower layer of the first wiring layer. The second wiring layer includes a conductor plane where an aperture section is formed at a position overlapped with a portion of the wire 23 in the thickness direction, and a conductor pattern that is mounted within the aperture section of the conductor plane. The conductor pattern includes a main pattern section (mesh pattern section) that is isolated from the conductor plane, and plural coupling sections that couple the main pattern section and the conductor plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shuuichi Kariyazaki, Ryuichi Oikawa
  • Patent number: 9305994
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus including a stacked capacitance structure is provided. The stacked capacitance structure includes a first inner metal layer having a first pad area adjacent to an edge of the first inner metal layer, a first insulating layer disposed on the first inner metal layer and exposing the first pad area, a second inner metal layer disposed on the first insulating layer and having a second pad area adjacent to an edge of the second inner metal layer, a second insulating layer disposed on the second inner metal layer and exposing the second pad area, and a third inner metal layer covering the second inner metal layer and including at least one first slit. The first pad area and the second pad area include a plurality of pads. The first slit corresponds to the second pad area, such that the pads on the second pad area are exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Zhi-Biao Zhou, Shao-Hui Wu, Chi-Fa Ku
  • Patent number: 9306051
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device having improved characteristics. The semiconductor device has, over a substrate thereof, a first buffer layer (GaN), a second buffer layer (AlGaN), a channel layer, and a barrier layer, a trench penetrating through the barrier layer and reaching the middle of the channel layer, a gate electrode placed in the trench via a gate insulating film, and a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on both sides of the gate electrode respectively. By a coupling portion in a through-hole reaching the first buffer layer, the buffer layer and the source electrode are electrically coupled to each other. Due to a two-dimensional electron gas produced in the vicinity of the interface between these two buffer layers, the semiconductor device can have an increased threshold voltage and improved normally-off characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinao Miura, Tatsuo Nakayama, Takashi Inoue, Hironobu Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9299281
    Abstract: A display device and manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. In one aspect, the display device includes a substrate including a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area, wherein the display area includes a plurality of pixels configured to display images and a plurality of inspection pads formed in the peripheral area and configured to transmit a plurality of inspection signals to the pixels. Each of the inspection pads includes a poly resistor formed over the substrate, at least one insulating layer formed over the poly resistor, first and second conductive wires formed over the insulating layer and respectively connected to opposing ends of the poly resistor, and a protective layer formed over the insulating layer and substantially overlapping the poly resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yun-Kyeong In