Patents Examined by Mark Tornow
  • Patent number: 9960278
    Abstract: To provide a highly reliable semiconductor device manufactured by giving stable electric characteristics to a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor. In a manufacturing process of a transistor, an oxide semiconductor layer, a source electrode layer, a drain electrode layer, a gate insulating film, a gate electrode layer, and an aluminum oxide film are formed in this order, and then heat treatment is performed on the oxide semiconductor layer and the aluminum oxide film, whereby an oxide semiconductor layer from which an impurity containing a hydrogen atom is removed and which includes a region containing oxygen more than the stoichiometric proportion is formed. In addition, when the aluminum oxide film is formed, entry and diffusion of water or hydrogen into the oxide semiconductor layer from the air due to heat treatment in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device or an electronic appliance including the transistor can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Inventors: Yuhei Sato, Keiji Sato, Toshinari Sasaki, Tetsunori Maruyama, Atsuo Isobe, Tsutomu Murakawa, Sachiaki Tezuka
  • Patent number: 9960242
    Abstract: A reduced size non-volatile memory cell array is achieved by forming first trenches in an insulation layer in the row direction, filling the first trenches with insulation material, forming second trenches in the insulation layer in the column direction, forming the STI isolation material in the second trenches, and forming the source regions through the first trenches. Alternately, the STI isolation regions can be made continuous, and the source diffusion implant has sufficient energy to form continuous source line diffusions that each extend across the active regions and under the STI isolation regions. This allows control gates of adjacent memory cell pairs to be formed closer together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Silicon Storage Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Chunming Wang
  • Patent number: 9954087
    Abstract: In a group III nitride-type field effect transistor, the present invention reduces a leak current component by conduction of residual carriers in a buffer layer, and achieves improvement in a break-down voltage, and enhances a carrier confinement effect (carrier confinement) of a channel to improve pinch-off characteristics (to suppress a short channel effect). For example, when applying the present invention to a GaN-type field effect transistor, besides GaN of a channel layer, a composition-modulated (composition-gradient) AlGaN layer in which aluminum composition reduces toward a top gradually or stepwise is used as a buffer layer (hetero buffer).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Inoue, Tatsuo Nakayama, Yuji Ando, Yasuhiro Murase, Kazuki Ota, Hironobu Miyamoto, Katsumi Yamanoguchi, Naotaka Kuroda, Akio Wakejima, Yasuhiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9953857
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods for fabricating a semiconductor device with buried local interconnects. One method may include providing a semiconductor substrate with fins etched into the semiconductor substrate; forming a first set of spacers along the sides of the fins; depositing a tungsten film over the top surface of the substrate; etching the tungsten film to form a buried local interconnect; forming a set of gates and a second set of spacers; forming a source and drain region adjacent to the fins; depositing a first insulating material over the top surface of the substrate; and creating contact between the set of gates and the source and drain region using an upper buried local interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Effendi Leobandung, Tenko Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9947605
    Abstract: A process for forming a semiconductor package. The process comprises forming a first leadframe strip mounted upon an adhesive tape. The first leadframe strip is at least partially encased in a first mold compound thereby forming a molded leadframe strip. At least one flip chip semiconductor device is mounted on the molded leadframe strip. The semiconductor device has conductive masses attached thereon to effectuate electrical contact between the semiconductor device and the molded leadframe. The conductive masses can be substantially spherical or cylindrical. Liquid encapsulant is dispensed on the semiconductor device to encapsulate the flip chip semiconductor device. A cavity is formed between the semiconductor device and the molded leadframe. The molded leadframe strip, the semiconductor device, and the conductive masses are at least partially encased in a second mold compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: UTAC HEADQUARTERS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Saravuth Sirinorakul, Somchai Nondhasitthichai
  • Patent number: 9947836
    Abstract: An electronic device mounting substrate includes: a first wiring substrate shaped in a rectangular frame, an interior of the rectangular frame constituting a first through hole; a second wiring substrate shaped in a rectangular frame or plate, the second wiring substrate being disposed so as to overlie a lower surface of the first wiring substrate and be electrically connected to the first wiring substrate; a metallic plate disposed so as to overlie a lower surface of the second wiring substrate so that the second wiring substrate is sandwiched between the metallic plate and the first wiring substrate; and a lens holder secured to an outer periphery of the metallic plate. A frame interior of the first wiring substrate, or a frame interior of each of the first wiring substrate and the second wiring substrate, constitutes an electronic device mounting space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuharu Sakai, Shou Yamasaki, Shigetoshi Inuyama, Noritaka Niino
  • Patent number: 9935180
    Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device includes patterning a fin in a substrate; performing a first etch to remove a portion of the fin to cut the fin into a first cut fin and a second cut fin, the first cut fin having a first and second fin end and the second cut fin having a first and second fin ends; forming an oxide layer along an endwall of the first fin end and an endwall of the second fin end of the first cut fin, and an endwall of the first fin end and an endwall of the second fin end of the second cut fin; disposing a liner onto the oxide layer disposed onto the endwall of the first fin end of the first cut fin to form a bilayer liner; and performing a second etch to remove a portion of the second cut fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignees: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ruilong Xie, Tenko Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9929164
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit includes following steps. A substrate including a memory region and a core region is provided. At least two semiconductor word lines, two memory cells in between the two semiconductor word lines, and a semiconductor gate in between the two memory cells are formed in the memory region. A transistor device including a dummy gate is formed in the core region, and a height of the dummy gate is larger than a height of the semiconductor word lines. A protecting layer is formed on the semiconductor word lines, the memory cells, the semiconductor gate and the transistor device. A portion of the protecting layer is removed to expose the dummy gate and followed be removing the dummy gate to form a gate trench in the transistor device. Then a metal gate is formed in the gate trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Chao-Sheng Cheng
  • Patent number: 9923095
    Abstract: The present invention provides a non-planar FET and a method of manufacturing the same. The non-planar FET includes a substrate, a fin structure, a gate and a gate dielectric layer. The fin structure is disposed on the substrate. The fin structure includes a first portion adjacent to the substrate wherein the first portion shrinks towards a side of the substrate. The gate is disposed on the fin structure. The gate dielectric layer is disposed between the fin structure and the gate. The present invention further provides a method of manufacturing the non-planar FET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Chin-Cheng Chien, Chun-Yuan Wu, Chih-Chien Liu, Chin-Fu Lin, Chia-Lin Hsu
  • Patent number: 9911743
    Abstract: Under one aspect, a method of making a nanotube switch includes: providing a substrate having a first conductive terminal; depositing a multilayer nanotube fabric over the first conductive terminal; and depositing a second conductive terminal over the multilayer nanotube fabric, the nanotube fabric having a thickness, density, and composition selected to prevent direct physical and electrical contact between the first and second conductive terminals. In some embodiments, the first and second conductive terminals and the multilayer nanotube fabric are lithographically patterned so as to each have substantially the same lateral dimensions, e.g., to each have a substantially circular or rectangular lateral shape. In some embodiments, the multilayer nanotube fabric has a thickness from 10 nm to 200 nm, e.g., 10 nm to 50 nm. The structure may include an addressable diode provided under the first conductive terminal or deposited over the second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Nantero, Inc.
    Inventors: Claude L. Bertin, Thomas Rueckes, X. M. Henry Huang, Ramesh Sivarajan, Eliodor G. Ghenciu, Steven L. Konsek, Mitchell Meinhold, Jonathan W. Ward, Darren K. Brock
  • Patent number: 9905517
    Abstract: Signal transmission characteristics of a semiconductor device are improved. A plurality of wirings of a wiring substrate on which a semiconductor chip is mounted include a first wiring and a second wiring that constitute a differential pair for use in transmitting a differential signal. Moreover, the first wiring and the second wiring respectively have first portions that extend in parallel with each other with a first clearance and second portions that are formed on the same wiring layer as the first portions, and extend in parallel with each other with a second clearance and third portions that are installed between the first portions and the second portions and designed to detour in such directions as to allow the mutual clearance to become greater than the first clearance and the second clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Hiranuma, Kazuyuki Sakata
  • Patent number: 9904125
    Abstract: A display panel includes a substrate, a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs), a plurality common electrodes, a plurality of common electrode lines, a plurality of coupling electrodes, and a plurality of pixel electrodes. Each of the TFTs comprises a gate, a source, a drain and a channel layer coupling the source to the drain. The gate, the common electrodes, and the common electrode lines are formed on a surface of the substrate and are separated from each other. Each of the coupling electrodes couples a corresponding common electrode to a corresponding common electrode line, and a space is defined between the corresponding common electrode and the corresponding common electrode line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Century Technology (Shenzhen) Corporation Limited
    Inventors: Ming-Tsung Wang, Chih-Chung Liu, Kuo-Chieh Chi, Jian-Xin Liu
  • Patent number: 9899602
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a material having a high Tg and a wide energy gap. The present invention provides a spirofluorene derivative represented by General Formula 1. (In the formula, R1 is any one of hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a group represented by General Formula 2. Each of R2 and R3 is either hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and may be identical or different. R4 is an aryl group having 6 to 15 carbon atoms. Each of R5 and R6 is any one of hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 15 carbon atoms and may be identical or different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sachiko Kawakami, Harue Nakashima
  • Patent number: 9899208
    Abstract: A process for forming land grid array semiconductor packages includes a leadframe that is supported by a substrate comprising mold compound. In some embodiments, at least one die is electrically coupled to the leadframe by bondwires. The package comprises a second mold compound to act as an encapsulant. An apparatus for forming a land grid array semiconductor package includes means for molding a leadframe, assembling thereon at least one semiconductor device, applying a second mold, and singulating to form individual devices. A land grid array package comprises a leadframe, a substrate for supporting the leadframe, at least one semiconductor device and a mold compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: UTAC THAI LIMITED
    Inventors: Somchai Nondhasitthichai, Saravuth Sirinorakul
  • Patent number: 9899442
    Abstract: An image sensor device, as well as methods therefor, is disclosed. This image sensor device includes a substrate having bond pads. The substrate has a through substrate channel defined therein extending between a front side surface and a back side surface thereof. The front side surface is associated with an optically-activatable surface. The bond pads are located at or proximal to the front side surface aligned for access via the through substrate channel. Wire bond wires are bonded to the bond pads at first ends thereof extending away from the bond pads with second ends of the wire bond wires located outside of an opening of the channel at the back side surface. A molding layer is disposed along the back side surface and in the through substrate channel. A redistribution layer is in contact with the molding layer and interconnected to the second ends of the wire bond wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Invensas Corporation
    Inventor: Rajesh Katkar
  • Patent number: 9893087
    Abstract: A thin film transistor TFT substrate includes a substrate, a first conductive pattern that extends on the substrate in a first direction, a second conductive pattern located on the same layer as the first conductive pattern and nearest to a first side of the first conductive pattern in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and a dummy pattern located on the same layer as the first conductive pattern and located adjacent a second other side of the first conductive pattern which is opposite to the first side of the first conductive pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sangmok Hong, Moosoon Ko
  • Patent number: 9887289
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate arranged on a substrate; a source/drain formed on the substrate adjacent to the gate; a source/drain contact extending from the source/drain and through an interlayer dielectric (ILD) over the source/drain, a portion of the source/drain positioned adjacent to the source/drain contact; and a silicide positioned along a sidewall of the source/drain contact between the portion of the source/drain and the source/drain contact, and along an endwall of the source/drain contact between the source/drain contact and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Injo Ok, Soon-Cheon Seo, Balasubramanian Pranatharthiharan, Charan V. V. S. Surisetty
  • Patent number: 9881837
    Abstract: A fuse device and method for fabricating the fuse device is disclosed. An exemplary fuse device includes a first contact and a second contact coupled with a metal-semiconductor alloy layer, wherein the metal-semiconductor alloy layer extends continuously between the first contact and the second contact. The metal-semiconductor alloy layer is disposed over an epitaxial layer that is disposed over a fin structure of a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Min-Chang Liang, Shien-Yang Wu, Wei-Chang Kung
  • Patent number: 9876021
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit (IC) that includes a high-k metal gate (HKMG) non-volatile memory (NVM) device and that provides small scale and high performance, and a method of formation. In some embodiments, the integrated circuit includes a logic region and an embedded memory region disposed adjacent to the logic region. The logic region has a logic device disposed over a substrate and including a first metal gate disposed over a first high-k gate dielectric layer. The memory region has a non-volatile memory (NVM) device including a second metal gate disposed over a second high-k gate dielectric layer. By having HKMG structures in both the logic region and the memory region, IC performance is improved and further scaling becomes possible in emerging technology nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei Cheng Wu, Li-Feng Teng
  • Patent number: 9871050
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a flash memory device is provided including providing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, in particular, a fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) substrate, comprising a semiconductor bulk substrate, a buried oxide layer formed on the semiconductor bulk substrate and a semiconductor layer formed on the buried oxide layer and forming a memory device on the SOI substrate. Forming the flash memory device on the SOI substrate includes forming a flash transistor device and a read transistor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Ralf Richter, Sven Beyer, Jan Paul