Patents Examined by Mark V. Prenty
  • Patent number: 10680081
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a top source/drain junction of a vertical transistor includes forming a structure including a bottom source/drain, a fin channel extending vertically from the bottom source/drain, and a gate arranged around the fin channel, the gate including a dielectric layer, a gate metal, and spacers arranged on top and bottom surfaces of the gate; etching to form a recess in a top surface of the fin, the recess having sidewalls that form oblique angles with respect to sidewalls of the fin; forming a top source/drain on the fin and within the recess; doping the top source/drain with a dopant; and annealing to diffuse the dopants from the top source/drain into the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Muthumanickam Sankarapandian, Ruilong Xie, Tenko Yamashita, Chun-Chen Yeh
  • Patent number: 10672658
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of forming the same, the semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate structure, an insulating stacked structure and a first conductive layer. The gate structure is disposed on the substrate, and the insulating stacked structure covers the gate structure and the substrate to define a first opening therein to expose a portion of the gate structure and a portion of the substrate. The first conductive layer covers surfaces of the first opening to directly contact the portion of the substrate and the portion of the gate structure, with the first conductive layer including two outer extension wings on a top surface of the insulating stacked structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Wen-Wu Wan, Tien-Hsiang Cheng, Kun-Hsuan Chung
  • Patent number: 10665691
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a fin, a bottom capping structure and a top capping structure. The fin disposed on the substrate, the fin has a lower portion and an upper portion extending upwards from the lower portion. The bottom capping structure covers a sidewall of the lower portion of the fin. The top capping structure covers a sidewall of the upper portion of the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kuo-Cheng Ching, Shi-Ning Ju, Chih-Hao Wang, Ying-Keung Leung
  • Patent number: 10636960
    Abstract: MTJ material stacks with a laterally strained free magnetic layer, STTM devices employing such stacks, and computing platforms employing such STTM devices. In some embodiments, perpendicular pMTJ material stacks included free magnetic layers that are compressively strained laterally by a surrounding material, which increases coercive field strength for a more stable device. In some embodiments, a pMTJ material stack is encased in a compressive-stressed material. In some further embodiments, a pMTJ material stack is encased first in a dielectric shell, permitting a conductive material to be deposited over the shell as the compressive-stressed, strain-inducing material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Prashanth P. Madras, MD Tofizur Rahman, Christopher J. Wiegand, Brian Maertz, Oleg Golonzka, Kevin P. O'Brien, Mark L. Doczy, Brian S. Doyle, Tahir Ghani, Kaan Oguz
  • Patent number: 10636916
    Abstract: Structures of high electron mobility thin film transistors (HEM-TFTs) are provided in this invention. In one embodiment, HEM-TFTs with a single heterojunction structure are disclosed to have a substrate, a first metal oxide channel layer, a first spacer layer, a first doped layer, a first barrier layer, a source, a drain and a gate. In another embodiment, HEM-TFTs with a double heterojunction structure are provided to have a substrate, a second barrier layer, a second doped layer, a second spacer layer, a first metal oxide channel layer, a second spacer layer, a second doped layer, a second barrier layer, a source, a drain and a gate. In yet another embodiment, HEM-TFTs with a single heterojunction structure are disclosed to comprise a substrate, a first metal oxynitride channel layer, a first spacer layer, a first doped layer, a first barrier layer, a source, a drain and a gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Inventors: Ishiang Shih, Cindy X. Qiu, Chunong Qiu, Andy Shih, Julia Qiu, Yi-Chi Shih
  • Patent number: 10636795
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a lower electrode on a substrate, a capacitor dielectric layer on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode on the capacitor dielectric layer. The capacitor dielectric layer includes a base layer on the lower electrode and a dielectric particle layer in at least a portion of the base layer. The base layer includes a first dielectric material, and the dielectric particle layer extends at least partially continuously along a thickness direction of the capacitor dielectric layer and includes a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Se-hyoung Ahn, Youn-soo Kim, Jae-hyoung Choi, Jae-wan Chang, Sun-min Moon, Jin-sun Lee
  • Patent number: 10622258
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate; an n-type transistor including a first junction region positioned on the substrate, a first channel region positioned on the first junction region, a second junction region positioned on the first channel region, and a first gate stack at least partially surrounding the first channel region; and a p-type transistor including a third junction region positioned on the substrate, a second channel region positioned on the third junction region, a fourth junction region positioned on the second channel region, and a second gate stack at least partially surrounding the second channel region, in which the first channel region and the second channel region are epitaxial channel layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yeon-Cheol Heo
  • Patent number: 10607880
    Abstract: A continuous buried doped isolation region in a substrate of a die. The substrate includes an isolation ring structure surrounding a first area of the die. The continuous buried doped isolation region is of a net first conductivity type and is located in the first area. The continuous buried doped isolation region including a first portion having a net first conductivity type dopant concentration of at least a first level located in an interior region of the first area and extending to a sidewall of the isolation ring structure. The first portion does not extend to the sidewall of the isolation ring structure in a location of a corner area of the first area. The corner area is defined by the isolation ring structure. A second portion of the continuous buried doped isolation region in the corner area has a net first conductivity type dopant concentration of a second level that is lower than the first level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Saumitra Raj Mehrotra, Tanuj Saxena, Ljubo Radic, Bernhard Grote
  • Patent number: 10600920
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type; a deep well region disposed on the semiconductor substrate, and having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type; a first well region and a second well region disposed in the deep well region and having the first conductivity type, wherein the first well region and the second well region are separated by a portion of the deep well region, and the first well region is electrically connected to the second well region; and a first doped region and a second doped region disposed in the deep well region and having the second conductivity type, wherein the first well region and the second well region are located between the first doped region and the second doped region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vinay Suresh, Po-An Chen
  • Patent number: 10600911
    Abstract: A transistor includes a trench formed in a semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode is formed in the trench with a first edge of the gate electrode proximate to a first sidewall of the trench. A first field plate is formed in the trench with the first field plate located between a second edge of the gate electrode and a second sidewall of the trench. A dielectric material is formed in the trench with the dielectric material having a first thickness between the first sidewall and a first edge of the first field plate, and a second thickness between the second sidewall and a second edge of the first field plate, the second thickness larger than the first thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Bernhard Grote, Saumitra Raj Mehrotra, Ljubo Radic, Vishnu Khemka, Mark Edward Gibson
  • Patent number: 10586802
    Abstract: Methods of forming multi-tiered semiconductor devices are described, along with apparatus and systems that include them. In one such method, an opening is formed in a tier of semiconductor material and a tier of dielectric. A portion of the tier of semiconductor material exposed by the opening is processed so that the portion is doped differently than the remaining semiconductor material in the tier. At least substantially all of the remaining semiconductor material of the tier is removed, leaving the differently doped portion of the tier of semiconductor material as a charge storage structure. A tunneling dielectric is formed on a first surface of the charge storage structure and an intergate dielectric is formed on a second surface of the charge storage structure. Additional embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, John K. Zahurak
  • Patent number: 10580970
    Abstract: MTJ material stacks, pSTTM devices employing such stacks, and computing platforms employing such STTM devices. In some embodiments, perpendicular MTJ material stacks with free magnetic layers are magnetically coupled through a metal material layer for improved stability and low damping. In some advantageous embodiments, layers of a free magnetic material stack are magnetically coupled through a coupling layer of a metal comprising at least molybdenum (Mo). The Mo may be in pure form or alloyed with other constituents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Kaan Oguz, Kevin P. O'Brien, Christopher J. Wiegand, Tofizur Rahman, Brian S. Doyle, Mark L. Doczy, Oleg Golonzka, Tahir Ghani, Justin S. Brockman
  • Patent number: 10573732
    Abstract: A semiconductor device according to as embodiment includes a semiconductor layer having a first plane and a second plane; a first trench provided in the semiconductor layer; a first gate electrode provided in the first trench; a second trench provided in the semiconductor layer; a second gate electrode provided in the second trench; a third trench provided in the semiconductor layer; a first resistive layer provided in the third trench; a first electrode provided on a side of the first plane of the semiconductor layer; a second electrode provided on a side of the second plane of the semi conductor layer; and a gate electrode pad provided on the side of the first plane of the semiconductor layer, is electrically connected to the first gate electrode through the first resistive layer, and is electrically connected to the second gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventors: Yoko Iwakaji, Tomoko Matsudai
  • Patent number: 10566452
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor element and a control device. The semiconductor element includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, a conductive portion, and a gate electrode. In a first operation, the control device changes a potential of the conductive portion from a first potential to a second potential. In a second operation, the control device changes a potential of the gate electrode from a third potential to a fourth potential. In a third operation, the control device changes the potential of the gate electrode from the fourth potential to the third potential. In a fourth operation, the control device changes the potential of the conductive portion from the second potential to the first potential after the third operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenya Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10566526
    Abstract: A method includes depositing on a substrate a magnetoresistance stack, depositing a first hard mask on the magnetoresistance stack, depositing a first photoresist on the first hard mask, patterning the first photoresist to expose portions of the first hard mask, and etching the exposed portions of the first hard mask to expose a portion of the magnetoresistance stack. The method further includes stripping the first photoresist, etching the exposed portions of the magnetoresistance stack and the first hard mask to form a first intermediate structure having a base and a pillar structure, depositing an etch barrier on the first intermediate structure, and depositing a second hard mask on the etch barrier. A second photoresist is deposited on the second hard mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
    Inventors: Yen Ting Liu, Maxim Klebanov, Paolo Campiglio, Sundar Chetlur
  • Patent number: 10559581
    Abstract: To downsize a semiconductor device that includes a non-volatile memory and a capacitive element on a semiconductor substrate. In a capacitive element region of a main surface of a semiconductor substrate, fins protruding from the main surface are arranged along the Y direction while extending in the X direction. In the capacitive element region of the main surface of the semiconductor substrate, capacitor electrodes of the capacitive elements are alternately arranged along the X direction while intersecting the fins. The fins are formed in a formation step of other fins which are arranged in a memory cell array of the non-volatile memory of the semiconductor substrate. One capacitor electrode is formed in a formation step of a control gate electrode of the non-volatile memory. Another capacitor electrode is formed in a formation step of a memory gate electrode of the non-volatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Yamashita, Tamotsu Ogata, Masamichi Fujito, Tomoya Saito
  • Patent number: 10559688
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for forming a transistor with enhanced thermal performance. The enhanced thermal performance can be derived from the inclusion of thermal boost material adjacent to the transistor, where the material can be selected based on the transistor type being formed. In the case of PMOS devices, the adjacent thermal boost material may have a high positive linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) (e.g., greater than 5 ppm/° C. at around 20° C.) and thus expand as operating temperatures increase, thereby inducing compressive strain on the channel region of an adjacent transistor and increasing carrier (e.g., hole) mobility. In the case of NMOS devices, the adjacent thermal boost material may have a negative linear CTE (e.g., less than 0 ppm/° C. at around 20° C.) and thus contract as operating temperatures increase, thereby inducing tensile strain on the channel region of an adjacent transistor and increasing carrier (e.g., electron) mobility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Chen-Guan Lee, Walid M. Hafez, Joodong Park, Chia-Hong Jan, Hsu-Yu Chang
  • Patent number: 10559749
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive effect element, which includes: a first ferromagnetic layer as a magnetization fixed layer; a second ferromagnetic layer as a magnetization free layer; and a nonmagnetic spacer layer provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer includes an Ag alloy represented by General Formula (1), and thereby lattice mismatch between the nonmagnetic spacer layer, and the first ferromagnetic layer and/or the second ferromagnetic layer is reduced, compared to lattice mismatch when the nonmagnetic spacer layer is formed of Ag, Ag?X1-???(1) where X indicates one element selected from the group made of Al, Cu, Ga, Ge, As, Y, La, Sm, Yb, and Pt, and 0<?<1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuumi Inubushi, Katsuyuki Nakada
  • Patent number: 10541316
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes first and second gate dielectric layers over a fin. First and second gate electrodes are over the first and second gate dielectric layers, respectively, the first and second gate electrodes both having an insulating cap having a top surface. First dielectric spacer are adjacent the first side of the first gate electrode. A trench contact structure is over a semiconductor source or drain region adjacent first and second dielectric spacers, the trench contact structure comprising an insulating cap on a conductive structure, the insulating cap of the trench contact structure having a top surface substantially co-planar with the insulating caps of the first and second gate electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew W. Yeoh, Tahir Ghani, Atul Madhavan, Michael L. Hattendorf, Christopher P. Auth
  • Patent number: 10541143
    Abstract: Methods and architectures for self-aligned build-up of patterned features. An initial patterned feature aspect ratio may be maintained or increased, for example to mitigate erosion of the feature during one or more subtractive device fabrication processes. A patterned feature height may be increased without altering an effective spacing between adjacent features that may be further relied upon, for example to further pattern an underlying material. A patterned feature may be conformally capped with a material, such as a metal or dielectric, in a self-aligned manner, for example to form a functional device layer on an initial pattern having a suitable space width-to-line height aspect ratio without the use of a masked etch to define the cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Leonard P. Guler, Nick Lindert