Patents Examined by Matthew E. Warren
  • Patent number: 11791411
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a layer arrangement consisting of, in sequence, a semiconductor-on-insulator layer (SOI) over a buried oxide (BOX) layer over a buried stressor (BS) layer with a silicon bonding layer (BL) intervening between the BOX and the BS layers. The semiconductor structure may be created by forming the BS layer on a substrate of a first wafer; growing the BL layer at the surface of the BS layer; wafer bonding the first wafer to a second wafer having a silicon oxide layer formed on a silicon substrate such that the silicon oxide layer of the second wafer is bonded to the BL layer of the first wafer, and thereafter removing a portion of the silicon substrate of the second wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Acorn Semi, LLC
    Inventors: Paul A. Clifton, Andreas Goebel
  • Patent number: 11792995
    Abstract: A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a substrate, a bit line structure and a source line structure respectively extending in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate, a semiconductor layer disposed between the bit line structure and the source line structure on a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate, a first ferroelectric layer disposed on a first surface of the semiconductor layer, and a first gate electrode layer disposed on the first ferroelectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Gil Lee, Dong Ik Suh, Se Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 11792996
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a ferroelectric random-access memory (FeRAM) cell or some other suitable type of memory cell comprising a bottom-electrode interface structure. The memory cell further comprises a bottom electrode, a switching layer over the bottom electrode, and a top electrode over the switching layer. The bottom-electrode interface structure separates the bottom electrode and the switching layer from each other. Further, the interface structure is dielectric and is configured to block or otherwise resist metal atoms and/or impurities in the bottom electrode from diffusing to the switching layer. By blocking or otherwise resisting such diffusion, leakage current may be decreased. Further, endurance of the memory cell may be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tzu-Yu Lin, Chia-Wen Zhong, Yao-Wen Chang
  • Patent number: 11785779
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a stacked structure disposed on the substrate. The stacked structure includes multiple alternately stacked insulating layers and gate members. A core structure is disposed in the stacked structure. The core structure includes a memory layer, a channel member, a contact member, and a liner member. The channel member is disposed on the memory layer. The contact member is disposed on the channel member. The liner member surrounds a portion of the core structure. The present disclosure also provides a method for fabricating the semiconductor structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Wei Jiang, Sheng-Chih Lai, Feng-Cheng Yang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 11778835
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a channel on or in the substrate, a source/drain pair respectively on opposite ends of the channel, and a gate structure on the channel between the source/drain pair, wherein the gate structure includes an interfacial layer, a ferroelectric layer, a stabilization layer, an oxygen diffusion barrier layer, and a threshold voltage control layer that are sequentially stacked on the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventors: Byounghoon Lee, Jongho Park, Musarrat Hasan, Wandon Kim, Seungkeun Cha
  • Patent number: 11765906
    Abstract: A memory device includes a plurality of first memory cells disposed along a vertical direction. Each of the plurality of first memory cells includes a portion of a first channel segment that extends along the vertical direction and has a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The first and second sidewalls of the first channel segment facing toward and away from a first lateral direction, respectively. Each of the plurality of first memory cells includes a portion of a first ferroelectric segment that also extends along the vertical direction and is in contact with the first sidewall of the first channel segment. A width of the first ferroelectric segment along a second lateral direction is different from a width of the first channel segment along the second lateral direction. The second lateral direction is perpendicular to the first lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Meng-Han Lin, Chia-En Huang
  • Patent number: 11758735
    Abstract: One aspect of this description relates to a semiconductor device. In some embodiments, the semiconductor device includes a first drain/source structure extending in a first direction, a second drain/source structure extending the first direction and spaced from the first drain/source structure in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a third drain/source structure extending in the first direction and spaced from the second drain/source structure in the second direction, a first bit line disposed over the first drain/source structure in the first direction, a common select line that includes a portion disposed over the second drain/source structure in the first direction, a second bit line disposed over the third drain/source structure in the first direction, and a charge storage layer coupled to at least a first sidewall of each of the first drain/source structure, the second drain/source structure, and the third drain/source structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Meng-Han Lin, Chia-En Huang, Yi-Ching Liu
  • Patent number: 11758734
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first conductive structure extending along a vertical direction and a second conductive structure extending along the vertical direction. The second conductive structure is spaced apart from the first conductive structure along a first lateral direction. The semiconductor device includes third conductive structures each extending along the first lateral direction. The third conductive structures are disposed across the first and second conductive structures. The semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor channel extending along the vertical direction. The first semiconductor channel is disposed between the third conductive structures and the first conductive structure, and between the third conductive structures and the second conductive structure. The first and second conductive structures each have a first varying width along the first lateral direction, and the first semiconductor channel has a second varying width along a second lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Peng-Chun Liou, Zhiqiang Wu, Ya-Yun Cheng, Yi-Ching Liu, Meng-Han Lin
  • Patent number: 11758733
    Abstract: In some aspects of the present disclosure, a memory device includes a first memory array including: a plurality of memory strings spaced from each other along a first lateral direction and a second lateral direction, each of the plurality of memory strings including a plurality of memory cells arranged along a vertical direction; and a plurality of first conductive structures extending along the vertical direction; wherein each of the plurality of first conductive structures includes a first portion and a second portion; wherein the first portion extends across the plurality of memory cells of a corresponding pair of the plurality of memory strings along the vertical direction, and the second portion is disposed over the first portion along the vertical direction; and wherein the second portion extends farther than the first portion along at least one of the first or second lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-En Huang, Meng-Han Lin, Ya-Hui Wu
  • Patent number: 11744080
    Abstract: A memory device, a semiconductor device and manufacturing methods for forming the memory device and the semiconductor device are provided. The memory device include a stacking structure, a switching layer, channel layers and pairs of conductive pillars. The stacking structure includes alternately stacked isolation layers and word lines, and extends along a first direction. The stacking structure has a staircase portion and a connection portion at an edge region of the stacking structure. The connection portion extends along the staircase portion and located aside the staircase portion, and may not be shaped into a staircase structure. The switching layer covers a sidewall of the stacking structure. The channel layers cover a sidewall of the switching layer, and are laterally spaced apart from one another along the first direction. The pairs of conductive pillars stand on the substrate, and in lateral contact with the switching layer through the channel layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Meng-Han Lin, Han-Jong Chia, Yi-Ching Liu, Chia-En Huang, Sheng-Chen Wang, Feng-Cheng Yang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 11744082
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices may include a stacked structure including interlayer insulating layers and gate electrodes alternately stacked in a vertical direction, a core region extending in the vertical direction in the stacked structure, a channel layer on a side surface of the core region and facing the gate electrodes and the interlayer insulating layers, a first dielectric layer, a data storage layer and a second dielectric layer, which are between the channel layer and the gate electrodes in order, and an anti-ferroelectric layer including a portion interposed between the first dielectric layer and a first gate electrode of the gate electrodes. The second dielectric layer may contact the channel layer. The anti-ferroelectric layer may be formed of an anti-ferroelectric material having a tetragonal phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Byungjin Cho, Sungwon Shin, Euijoong Shin
  • Patent number: 11737281
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes: a semiconductor layer extending in a first direction; a first gate electrode layer; a first insulating layer between the semiconductor layer and the first gate electrode layer; a second insulating layer between the first insulating layer and the first gate electrode layer, the second insulating layer having a first portion containing a ferroelectric material; and a first layer between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, the first layer containing silicon, nitrogen, and fluorine, the first layer having a first region and a second region between the first region and the second insulating layer, the first layer having a second atomic ratio of nitrogen to silicon in the second region higher than a first atomic ratio of nitrogen to silicon in the first region, and the first layer having fluorine concentration higher than the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventors: Harumi Seki, Kensuke Ota, Masumi Saitoh
  • Patent number: 11737280
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a memory device including a semiconductor substrate, a first electrode disposed over the semiconductor substrate, a ferroelectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the semiconductor substrate, and a first stressor layer separating the first electrode from the ferroelectric layer. The first stressor layer has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than that of the ferroelectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Bi-Shen Lee, Tzu-Yu Lin, Yi-Yang Wei, Hai-Dang Trinh, Hsun-Chung Kuang, Cheng-Yuan Tsai
  • Patent number: 11735661
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same, the semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate structure and an epitaxial structure. The gate structure is disposed on the substrate, and the epitaxial structure is disposed in the substrate, at one side of the gate structure. The epitaxial structure includes a portion being protruded from a top surface of the substrate, and the portion includes a discontinuous sidewall, with a distance between a turning point of the discontinuous sidewalls and the gate structure being a greatest distance between the epitaxial structure and the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Kuang-Hsiu Chen, Sung-Yuan Tsai, Chi-Hsuan Tang, Chun-Wei Yu, Yu-Ren Wang
  • Patent number: 11729988
    Abstract: A memory device includes a multi-layer stack, a channel layer, a memory material layer and at least three conductive pillars. The multi-layer stack is disposed on a substrate and includes a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of dielectric layers stacked alternately. The channel layer penetrates through the plurality of conductive layers and the plurality of dielectric layers. The memory material layer is disposed between the channel layer and each of the plurality of conductive layers and the plurality of dielectric layers. The conductive pillars are surrounded by the channel layer and the memory material layer, wherein the at least three conductive pillars are electrically connected to conductive lines respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Wei Jiang, Sheng-Chih Lai, Tsuching Yang, Hung-Chang Sun, Kuo-Chang Chiang
  • Patent number: 11728359
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image sensor having a plurality of groups of pixels, each group of pixels including: first to third image detection color filter sets and a phase difference detection color filter set, which are arranged in a matrix with rows and columns. The phase difference detection color filter set comprises first to fourth phase difference detection color filter pairs arranged in a matrix with rows and columns. The first to fourth phase difference detection color filter pairs comprise first to fourth left phase difference detection color filters positioned on the left of each of the first to fourth phase difference detection color filter pairs and first to fourth right phase difference detection color filters positioned on the right of each of the first to fourth phase difference detection color filter pairs, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignees: SK hynix Inc., Dong-A University Research Foundation for Industry-Academy Cooperation
    Inventors: Kyoung-In Lee, Min-Su Cho, Sung-Wook Cho, Yun-Kyung Kim
  • Patent number: 11729989
    Abstract: A depletion-mode FeFET (“FeDFET”) is programmable to a first programmed state, under a first set of voltage biasing conditions, and to a second programmed state, under a second set of voltage biasing conditions. In both the first and second programmed states, the storage transistor has a threshold voltage that is not greater than 0 volts. A memory circuit may be organized as memory cells, with each memory cell including select transistors, transistor switches and FeDFETs in a static random-access memory (SRAM) cell configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Inventor: Iu-Meng Tom Ho
  • Patent number: 11723210
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a method for forming a memory device, including forming a plurality of word line stacks respectively including a plurality of word lines alternatingly stacked with a plurality of insulating layers over a semiconductor substrate, forming a data storage layer along opposing sidewalls of the word line stacks, forming a channel layer along opposing sidewalls of the data storage layer, forming an inner insulating layer between inner sidewalls of the channel layer and including a first dielectric material, performing an isolation cut process including a first etching process through the inner insulating layer and the channel layer to form an isolation opening, forming an isolation structure filling the isolation opening and including a second dielectric material, performing a second etching process through the inner insulating layer on opposing sides of the isolation structure to form source/drain openings, and forming source/drain contacts in the source/drain
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsu Ching Yang, Feng-Cheng Yang, Sheng-Chih Lai, Yu-Wei Jiang, Kuo-Chang Chiang, Hung-Chang Sun, Chen-Jun Wu, Chung-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 11723211
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device of an embodiment includes a first gate electrode layer and a second gate electrode layer extending parallel to each other, a semiconductor layer between the first and the second gate electrode layer intersecting with the first and the second gate electrodes, and a dielectric layer surrounding the semiconductor layer, the dielectric layer containing oxygen and one of hafnium oxide or zirconium, the dielectric layer including a first region containing crystal of orthorhombic or trigonal as a main component between the first gate electrode layer and the semiconductor layer, a second region containing crystal of orthorhombic or trigonal as a main component between the second gate electrode layer and the semiconductor layer, and a third region containing a substance other than crystal of orthorhombic or trigonal as a main component between the first region and the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventors: Harumi Seki, Masumi Saitoh
  • Patent number: 11715797
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a ferroelectric transistor having a first electrode and a second electrode. The second electrode is offset from the first electrode by an active region. A transistor gate is along a portion of the active region. The active region includes a first source/drain region adjacent the first electrode, a second source/drain region adjacent the second electrode, and a body region between the first and second source/drain regions. The body region includes a gated channel region adjacent the transistor gate. The active region includes at least one barrier between the second electrode and the gated channel region which is permeable to electrons but not to holes. Ferroelectric material is between the transistor gate and the gated channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kamal M. Karda, Haitao Liu, Durai Vishak Nirmal Ramaswamy