Patents Examined by Matthew S. Smith
  • Patent number: 7897435
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating an array of aligned microstructures on a substrate are disclosed. The microstructures may be spring contacts or other microelements. The methods disclosed include construction of an alignment substrate, alignment of die elements with the alignment substrate, and fixation of the aligned die elements to a backing substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: FormFactor, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin N. Eldridge, Gaetan L. Mathieu
  • Patent number: 7897430
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an organic thin film transistor comprising a photocurable transparent inorganic/polymer composite layer as a gate insulator layer in which metal oxide nanoparticles are generated within a photocurable transparent polymer through sol-gel and photocuring reactions and whose permittivity is easily regulated; and a fabrication method thereof. Since the organic thin film transistor according to the present invention utilizes the photocurable transparent inorganic/polymer composite layer showing a significantly high and readily controllable permittivity as a gate insulator, it is capable of operating under low voltage conditions and has a high on/off current ratio due to low leakage current. Further, the organic thin film transistor according to the present invention preserves the unique properties of the photocurable transparent polymer, enabling the formation of a photocurable micropattern of a gate insulator having high processibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Jai Kyeong Kim, Dong Young Kim, June Whan Choi, Ho Gyu Yoon
  • Patent number: 7897493
    Abstract: Strain is induced in a semiconductor layer. Embodiments include inducing strain by, for example, creation of free surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: James Fiorenza, Mark Carroll, Anthony J. Lochtefeld
  • Patent number: 7897488
    Abstract: A wafer dividing method for dividing a wafer having a film on the front side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Disco Corporation
    Inventors: Yosuke Watanabe, Ryugo Oba, Masaru Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7897524
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device including: determining pattern dependency of a radiation factor of an element forming surface of one wafer having a predetermined pattern formed on the wafer; determining a heating surface of the wafer, based on the pattern dependency of the radiation factor; holding the one wafer having the determined heating surface and another wafer having a determined heating surface, spaced at a predetermined distance in such a manner that non-heating surfaces of the one wafer and the another wafer oppose to each other; and heating the each heating surface of the one wafer and the another wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masaki Kamimura, Kenichi Yoshino
  • Patent number: 7897513
    Abstract: The present application is directed to a method for forming a metal silicide layer. The method comprises providing a substrate comprising silicon and depositing a metal layer on the substrate. The metal layer is annealed within a first temperature range and for a first dwell time of about 10 milliseconds or less to react at least a portion of the metal with the silicon to form a silicide. An unreacted portion of the metal is removed from the substrate. The silicide is annealed within a second temperature range for a second dwell time of about 10 milliseconds or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Haowen Bu, Shashank Ekbote, Juanita Deloach
  • Patent number: 7897522
    Abstract: A method for particle beam lithography, such as electron beam (EB) lithography, includes forming a plurality of cell patterns on a stencil mask and shaping one or more of the cell patterns with a polygonal-shaped contour. A first polygonal-shaped cell pattern is exposed to a particle beam so as to project the first polygonal-shaped cell pattern on a substrate. A second polygonal-shaped cell pattern, having a contour that mates with the contour of the first polygonal-shaped cell pattern, is exposed to the particle beam, such as an electron beam, so as to project the second polygonal-shaped cell pattern adjacent to the first polygonal-shaped cell pattern to thereby form a combined cell with the contour of the first polygonal-shaped cell pattern mated to the contour of the second polygonal-shaped cell pattern. The polygonal-shaped contour of the first and second cell patterns may comprise a rectilinear-shaped contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, James Fong, Takashi Mitsuhashi, Shohei Matsushita
  • Patent number: 7892944
    Abstract: A method of forming a transistor in a semiconductor device includes forming device isolation structures in a substrate to define an active region. An oxide-based layer and a nitride-based layer are then formed between the active region and the device isolation structures. A predetermined gate region is etched in the active region to form a recess region. The damage layers are formed by a tilted ion implantation process using neutral elements on portions of the oxide-based layer exposed at the sidewalls of the recess region and other portions of the oxide-based layer below the recess region. The damage layers are then removed, thus causing a portion of the active region exposed at the bottom of the recess region to protrude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Shin-Gyu Choi
  • Patent number: 7892910
    Abstract: High performance bipolar transistors with raised extrinsic self-aligned base are integrated into a BiCMOS structure containing CMOS devices. By forming pad layers and raising the height of an intrinsic base layer relative to the source and drain of preexisting CMOS devices and by forming an extrinsic base through selective epitaxy, the effect of topographical variations is minimized during a lithographic patterning of the extrinsic base. Also, by not employing any chemical mechanical planarization process during the fabrication of the bipolar structures, complexity of process integration is reduced. Internal spacers or external spacers may be formed to isolate the base from the emitter. The pad layers, the intrinsic base layer, and the extrinsic base layer form a mesa structure with coincident outer sidewall surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Natalie B. Feilchenfeld, Bradley A. Orner, Benjamin T. Voegeli
  • Patent number: 7892858
    Abstract: A semiconductor package has first and second semiconductor die mounted to a substrate. The first semiconductor die includes a first inductor coil electrically coupled to the substrate. The second semiconductor die is mounted over the first semiconductor die. The second semiconductor die includes a second inductor coil electrically coupled to the substrate. A center of the second inductor coil has a vertical and lateral separation with respect to a center of the first inductor coil which are each selectable to minimize mutual inductive coupling between the first and second inductor coils. A spacer is disposed between the first and second semiconductor die to adjust the vertical separation. The center of the second inductor is positioned laterally within the second semiconductor die with respect to the center of the first inductor to adjust the lateral separation. The mutual inductive coupling decreases with increasing vertical and lateral separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: STATS ChipPAC, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kai Liu, Robert C. Frye
  • Patent number: 7892895
    Abstract: System and method for providing an electrical fuse having a p-n junction diode. A preferred embodiment comprises a cathode, an anode, and one or more links formed between the cathode and the anode. The cathode and the portion of the cathode adjoining the link are doped with a first impurity, preferably a p-type impurity. The anode and the portion of the link adjoining the anode are doped with a second impurity, preferably an n-type impurity. The junction of the first impurity and the second impurity in the link forms a p-n junction diode. A conductive layer, such as a silicide layer, is formed over the p-n junction diodes. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of p-n junction diodes may be formed in each link. One or more contacts may be formed to provide electrical contact to the cathode and the anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shien-Yang Wu, Shi-Bai Chen
  • Patent number: 7892975
    Abstract: A method for selectively forming an electric conductor, the method including disposing a processing target and a metal compound in an atmosphere including a supercritical fluid, the processing target having formed thereon at least one recess for providing an electric conductor, the metal compound including a metal serving as a main component of the electric conductor, and dissolving at least part of the metal compound in the supercritical fluid, selectively introducing the metal compound dissolved in the supercritical fluid into the recess in contact with a surface of the processing target, and coagulating in the recess the metal compound introduced into the recess to precipitate the metal from the metal compound, and coagulating the metal precipitated in the recess, thereby providing the electric conductor in the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center
    Inventors: Eiichi Kondoh, Michiru Hirose, Hitoshi Tanaka, Masayuki Satoh, Hisashi Yano, Masaki Yoshimaru
  • Patent number: 7888189
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an electronic device with a plurality of lead frames for individually supporting an electronic component 6 surrounded by a casing 8, which method includes the steps of charging a resin 10 into each casing 8 on a substrate 5 on which the plurality of supporting lead frames are disposed, and cutting the substrate 5 into individual lead frames. The step of charging the first resin includes the step of using a mask 1 that has through-holes 1a in positions corresponding to regions surrounded by the casings 8, to charge the resin 10 into the regions surrounded by the casings 8. The method is capable of improving the productivity of manufacturing electronic devices with lead frames for individually supporting an electronic component surrounded by a casing, and making the shape of the resin that covers the electronic components even.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Sanyu Rec Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiteru Miyawaki, Dongxu Wang
  • Patent number: 7888684
    Abstract: There has not been a DC drive type light emitting device capable of providing high brightness. The present invention provides a light emitting device, including: a pair of electrodes; a light emitter placed between the electrodes; and a semiconductor laminated to be adjacent to the light emitter, in which the semiconductor contains one of a chalcopyrite and an oxychalcogenide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Oike, Tatsuya Iwasaki, Toru Den
  • Patent number: 7888252
    Abstract: A method of forming contacts for semiconductor devices, the method including depositing an inter-level dielectric (ILD) over a plurality of gate stacks, in which the divots within the inter-level dielectric layer are defined by the spaces between the gate stacks, filling the divots with an initial fill material, depositing a masking material on the dielectric over the gate stacks, and selectively etching the fill material to form contact vias. The fill material may be a self-assembly material such as a multi-block copolymer in which the blocks self organize vertically within the divots, so that a selective etch of the block material will remove the vertically organized blocks from the divot, but leave at least one block over the gate regions. In another embodiment, the fill material may be a metal, and the masking material may be a parylene based polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Johnathan E. Faltermeier, Stephan Grunow, Kangguo Cheng, Kevin Petrarca, Kaushik Kumar, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Shom Ponoth, Vidhya Ramachandran
  • Patent number: 7888220
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a substrate having a transistor that includes a metal gate structure; a first oxide layer formed over the substrate; a silane layer formed on the first oxide layer; and a non-conductive metal oxide layer grown on the metal gate structure, wherein the silane layer inhibits nucleation and growth of the non-conductive metal oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Willy Rachmady, James Blackwell
  • Patent number: 7888249
    Abstract: The manufacture of solar cells is simplified and cost reduced through by performing successive ion implants, without an intervening thermal cycle. In addition to reducing process time, the use of chained ion implantations may also improve the performance of the solar cell. In another embodiment, two different species are successively implanted without breaking vacuum. In another embodiment, the substrate is implanted, then flipped such that it can be and implanted on both sides before being annealed. In yet another embodiment, one or more different masks are applied and successive implantations are performed without breaking the vacuum condition, thereby reducing the process time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas P. T. Bateman, Atul Gupta, Paul Sullivan, Paul J. Murphy
  • Patent number: 7883967
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a gate portion formed by laminating a tunnel insulating film, floating gate electrode, inter-poly insulating film and control gate electrode on a semiconductor substrate, and source and drain regions formed on the substrate. The tunnel insulating film has a three-layered structure having a silicon nitride film sandwiched between silicon oxide films. The silicon nitride film is continuous in an in-plane direction and has 3-coordinate nitrogen bonds and at least one of second neighboring atoms of nitrogen is nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yuuichiro Mitani, Daisuke Matsushita, Ryuji Ooba, Isao Kamioka, Yoshio Ozawa
  • Patent number: 7884013
    Abstract: A dual damascene structure with improved profiles and reduced defects and method of forming the same, the method including forming a first dielectric over a conductive area; forming a first dielectric insulator over the first dielectric; forming a first opening in the first dielectric insulator; lining the opening with a second dielectric; forming a second dielectric insulator over the first dielectric insulator; forming a second opening in the second dielectric insulator overlying and communicating with the first opening; and, filling the first and second openings with a conductive material to electrically communicate with the conductive area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Uway Tseng, Alex Huang, Kun-Szu Liu
  • Patent number: 7883945
    Abstract: A method or manufacturing an array substrate at a low cost. Silicon patterns are formed. A first impurity is implanted at a high concentration. Gate metal patterns are formed. A second impurity is implanted. The first impurity is implanted at a low concentration. A pixel electrode is formed. The first impurity is simultaneously implanted into partial portions of the pixel pattern part, the storage pattern part, and the driving pattern part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Goo Jung, Hyun-Uk Oh