Patents Examined by Marc Armand
  • Patent number: 9953995
    Abstract: A memory array provided on a semiconductor substrate includes: (a) channel structures arranged in multiple layers above the semiconductor substrate, each channel structure extending along a first direction substantially parallel a surface of the semiconductor substrate; (b) gate structures each extending along a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction and each being adjacent one of the channel structures, separated therefrom by a layer of memory material; and (c) conductors provided to connect the gate structures with circuitry fabricated in the semiconductor substrate, wherein at each location where one of the gate structure adjacent one of the channel structures, a portion of the gate structure, a portion of the channel structure and the layer of memory material constitute a memory cell of the memory array. Two or more memory cells sharing a channel structure are connected in series to form a NAND string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: SCHILTRON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Andrew J. Walker
  • Patent number: 9950920
    Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) structure and a method for forming the same are disclosed. The MEMS structure includes a sacrificial layer, a lower dielectric film, an upper dielectric film, a plurality of through holes and a protective film. The sacrificial layer comprises an opening. The lower dielectric film is on the sacrificial layer. The upper dielectric film is on the lower dielectric film. The plurality of through holes passes through the lower dielectric film and the upper dielectric film. The protective film covers side walls of the upper dielectric film and the lower dielectric film and a film interface between the lower dielectric film and the upper dielectric film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Yuan-Sheng Lin, Weng-Yi Chen, Kuan-Yu Wang, Chih-Wei Liu
  • Patent number: 9953929
    Abstract: Discussed generally herein are methods and devices including or providing an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. A device can include a substrate including electrical connection circuitry therein, grounding circuitry on, or at least partially in the substrate, the grounding circuitry at least partially exposed from a surface of the substrate, a die electrically connected to the connection circuitry and the grounding circuitry, the die on the substrate, and a conductive foil or conductive film surrounding the die, the conductive foil or conductive film electrically connected to the grounding circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Rajendra C. Dias, Anna M. Prakash, Joshua D. Heppner, Eric J. Li, Nachiket R. Raravikar
  • Patent number: 9953126
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a design method of layout formed by a sidewall method is provided. The method includes: preparing a base pattern on which a plurality of first patterns extending in a first direction and arranged at a first space in a second direction intersecting the first direction and a plurality of second patterns extending in the first direction and arranged at a center between the first patterns, respectively, are provided; and drawing a connecting portion which extends in the second direction and connects two neighboring first patterns sandwiching one of the second patterns, and separating the one of the second patterns into two patterns not contacting the connecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chikaaki Kodama, Koichi Nakayama, Toshiya Kotani, Shigeki Nojima, Fumiharu Nakajima, Hirotaka Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9953837
    Abstract: A MOS transistor having a gate insulator including a dielectric of high permittivity and a conductive layer including a TiN layer, wherein the nitrogen composition in the TiN layer is sub-stoichiometric in its lower portion and progressively increases to a stoichiometric composition in its upper portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (CROLLES 2) SAS
    Inventors: Pierre Caubet, Sylvain Baudot
  • Patent number: 9947749
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention include a versatile and scalable process, “patterned regrowth,” that allows for the spatially controlled synthesis of lateral junctions between electrically conductive graphene and insulating h-BN, as well as between intrinsic and substitutionally doped graphene. The resulting films form mechanically continuous sheets across these heterojunctions. These embodiments represent an element of developing atomically thin integrated circuitry and enable the fabrication of electrically isolated active and passive elements embedded in continuous, one atom thick sheets, which may be manipulated and stacked to form complex devices at the ultimate thickness limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Jiwoong Park, Mark Levendorf, Cheol-Joo Kim, Lola Brown
  • Patent number: 9947645
    Abstract: Multi-Project Wafers includes a plurality of chiplets from different IP owners. Non-relevant chiplets are implemented with IP protection to inhibit IP disclosure of non-relevant IP owners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignees: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, GLOBALFOUNDRIES SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., ENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soon Yoeng Tan, Teck Jung Tang, Ian D. Melville, Yelei Vianna Yao, Yasushi Yamagata
  • Patent number: 9947696
    Abstract: A method of forming an LTPS TFT substrate includes: Step 1: providing a substrate and depositing a buffer layer; Step 2: depositing an a-Si layer; Step 3: depositing and patterning a silicon oxide layer; Step 4: taking the silicon oxide layer as a photomask and annealing the a-Si layer with excimer laser, so that the a-Si layer crystalizes and turns into a poly-Si layer; Step 5: forming a first poly-Si region and a second poly-Si region; Step 6: defining a heavily N-doped area and a lightly N-doped area on the first and second poly-Si regions, and forming an LDD area; Step 7: depositing and patterning a gate insulating layer; Step 8: forming a first gate and a second gate; Step 9: forming via holes; and Step 10: forming a first source/drain and a second source/drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Gaiping Lu
  • Patent number: 9935197
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices with low junction capacitances and methods of fabrication thereof are described. In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming isolation regions in a substrate to form active areas. The sidewalls of the active areas are enclosed by the isolation regions. The isolation regions are recessed to expose first parts of the sidewalls of the active areas. The first parts of the sidewalls of the active areas are covered with spacers. The isolation regions are etched to expose second parts of the sidewalls of the active area, the second parts being disposed below the first parts. The active areas are etched through the exposed second parts of the sidewalls to form lateral openings. The lateral openings are filled with a spin on dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng-Hung Chang, Yu-Rung Hsu, Chen-Hua Yu
  • Patent number: 9935133
    Abstract: A display device includes: a first substrate comprising a display area including a plurality of pixels, and a peripheral area around the display area; a plurality of driving signal transmission lines on the first substrate and arranged in the peripheral area; a first insulating layer on the first substrate and arranged under the plurality of driving signal transmission lines; and a second insulating layer on a portion of the plurality of driving signal transmission lines and arranged in the display area, and the first insulating layer includes a trench between two driving signal transmission lines adjacent to each other among the plurality of driving signal transmission lines, and an edge portion of the second insulating layer overlaps the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Deuk Jong Kim, Hyo Jin Kim, Won Mo Park
  • Patent number: 9935035
    Abstract: An interposer structure including a dielectric base material, and a metal based interconnect structure extending through the dielectric base material from a first side of the dielectric base material to an opposing second side of the dielectric base material. At least one metal line of the metal based interconnect structure extends from the first side of the dielectric base material to the second side of the dielectric base material and has a first non-linear portion. A fluidic passage extends through the dielectric base material, wherein the fluidic passage has a second non-linear portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel J. Buvid, Eric J. Campbell, Sarah K. Czaplewski, Christopher W. Steffen
  • Patent number: 9934966
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a method for processing a carrier is provided. The method for processing a carrier may include: forming a first catalytic metal layer over a carrier; forming a source layer over the first catalytic metal layer; forming a second catalytic metal layer over the source layer, wherein the thickness of the second catalytic metal layer is larger than the thickness of the first catalytic metal layer; and subsequently performing an anneal to enable diffusion of the material of the source layer forming an interface layer adjacent to the surface of the carrier from the diffused material of the source layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Guenther Ruhl, Klemens Pruegl
  • Patent number: 9935049
    Abstract: Provided is an e-fuse structure of a semiconductor device having improved fusing performance so as to enable a program operation at a low voltage. The e-fuse structure includes a first metal pattern formed at a first vertical level, the first metal pattern including a first part extending in a first direction and a second part extending in the first direction and positioned to be adjacent to the first part, and a third part adjacent to the second part, the second part being positioned between the first part and the third part, the first part and the second part being electrically connected to each other, and the third part being electrically disconnected from the second part; and a second metal pattern electrically connected to the first metal pattern and formed at a second vertical level different from the first vertical level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyun-Min Choi
  • Patent number: 9935044
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor package includes a contact pad, a device external to the contact pad and a solder bump on the contact pad. The device has a conductive contact pad corresponding to the contact pad. The solder bump connects the contact pad with the conductive contact pad. The solder bump comprises a height from a top of the solder bump to the contact pad; and a width which is a widest dimension of the solder bump in a direction perpendicular to the height. A junction portion of the solder bump in proximity to the contact pad comprises an hourglass shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hsiu-Jen Lin, Wen-Hsiung Lu, Cheng-Ting Chen, Hsuan-Ting Kuo, Wei-Yu Chen, Ming-Da Cheng, Chung-Shi Liu
  • Patent number: 9935107
    Abstract: Techniques and methods related to dual strained cladding layers for semiconductor devices, and systems incorporating such semiconductor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen M Cea, Roza Kotlyar, Harold W Kennel, Kelin J Kuhn, Tahir Ghani
  • Patent number: 9929050
    Abstract: Embodiments of mechanisms of forming a semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor wafer comprising a first transistor formed in a front-side of the first semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor device also includes a second semiconductor wafer comprising a second transistor formed in a front-side of the second semiconductor wafer, and a backside of the second semiconductor wafer is bonded to the front-side of the first semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor device further includes an first interconnect structure formed between the first semiconductor wafer and the second semiconductor wafer, and the first interconnect structure comprises a first cap metal layer formed over a first conductive feature. The first interconnect structure is electrically connected to first transistor, and the first cap metal layer is configured to prevent diffusion and cracking of the first conductive feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jing-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 9929196
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a detector capable of detecting a wavelength range [?8; ?14] centered on a wavelength ?10, including: forming said device on a substrate by depositing a sacrificial layer totally embedding said device; forming, on the sacrificial layer, a cap including first, second, and third optical structures transparent in said range [?8; ?14], the second and third optical structures having equivalent refraction indexes at wavelength ?10 respectively greater than or equal to 3.4 and smaller than or equal to 2.3; forming a vent of access to the sacrificial layer through a portion of the cap, and then applying, through the vent, an etching to totally remove the sacrificial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignees: Ulis, Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Michel Vilain, Jérôme Favier, Jean-Jacques Yon, Laurent Frey
  • Patent number: 9919918
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a wafer-level bonding packaging method, including: providing a plurality of first wafers and a plurality of second wafers, a to-be-bonded surface of a first wafer being a first to-be-bonded surface, a to-be-bonded surface of a second wafer being a second to-be-bonded surface, and the first to-be-bonded surface including a first region and a second region; forming at least one first bonding structure on the second region; forming at least one second bonding structure on a second to-be-bonded surface, the at least one second bonding structure corresponding to the at least one first bonding structure; and forming a supporting layer on the first region, a height of supporting layer being greater than a height of the first bonding structure and less than a sum of the height of the first bonding structure and a height of the second bonding structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (BEIJING) CORPORATION, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wei Xu
  • Patent number: 9922843
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor package with an internal routing circuit. The internal routing circuit is formed from multiple molding routing layers in a plated and etched copper terminal semiconductor package by using a laser to activate areas of each molding compound layer of the semiconductor package. Each compound filler in the molding compound layer has a metal interior and an insulating outermost shell. The activated molding compound areas in the molding compound layer become metallized in an electroless plating solution to build conductive paths on the molding compound surface, while properties of non-activated molding compound areas are not changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: UTAC HEADQUARTERS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Saravuth Sirinorakul, Suebphong Yenrudee
  • Patent number: 9923054
    Abstract: A hard mask etch stop is formed on the top surface of tall fins to preserve the fin height and protect the top surface of the fin from damage during etching steps of the transistor fabrication process. In an embodiment, the hard mask etch stop is formed using a dual hard mask system, wherein a hard mask etch stop layer is formed over the surface of a substrate, and a second hard mask layer is used to pattern a fin with a hard mask etch stop layer on the top surface of the fin. The second hard mask layer is removed, while the hard mask etch stop layer remains to protect the top surface of the fin during subsequent fabrication steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ritesh Jhaveri, Bernard Sell, Tahir Ghani