Patents Examined by Michael S. Lebentritt
  • Patent number: 7927931
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device may comprise a semiconductor layer on a substrate and including a channel portion and ohmic contact portions at both sides of the channel portion, wherein an edge portion of the semiconductor layer has a side surface of a substantially tapered shape; a gate insulating layer covering the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode on the gate insulating layer and substantially corresponding to the channel portion; source and drain electrodes contacting the semiconductor layer; and a pixel electrode contacting the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joon Young Yang, Jae Young Oh, Soopool Kim
  • Patent number: 7927921
    Abstract: A uniform layer of non-conductive material, e.g., epoxy, is screen printed onto the backside of an integrated circuit wafer to a required thickness, and then heated until it is hard cured (C-stage). The integrated circuit wafer having the hard cured coating is then sawn apart to separate the individual integrated circuit dice. A non-conductive adhesive is dispensed onto mating faces of die attach paddles of leadframes. The dice are placed into the non-conductive adhesive and then the die and die attach paddle assembly are heated to hard cure the adhesive between the mating faces of the die and die attach paddle. This provides long term electrical isolation of the integrated circuit die from the die attach paddle, and effectively eliminates silver migration from the die attach paddle which causes conductive paths to form that increase unwanted leakage currents in the die and ultimately cause failure during operation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Ekgachai Kenganantanon, Surapol Sawatjeen
  • Patent number: 7928575
    Abstract: In an electronic device comprising a first electrodes consisting of a metal oxide and a second electrode consisting of an aluminum alloy film directly contacted and electrically connected to the first electrode, the contact interface between the aluminum alloy film and the first electrode is constructed so that at least a part of alloy components constituting the aluminum alloy film exist as a precipitate or concentrated layer. This construction enables direct contact between the aluminum alloy film and the electrode consisting of a metallic oxide and allows elimination of a barrier metal in such an electronic device, and manufacturing technology therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Gotoh, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Junichi Nakai, Katsufumi Tomihisa
  • Patent number: 7923273
    Abstract: An optoelectronics chip-to-chip interconnects system is provided, including at least one packaged chip to be connected on the printed-circuit-board with at least one other packaged chip, optical-electrical (O-E) conversion mean, waveguide-board, and (PCB). Single to multiple chips interconnects can be interconnected provided using the technique disclosed in this invention. The packaged chip includes semiconductor die and its package based on the ball-grid array or chip-scale-package. The O-E board includes the optoelectronics components and multiple electrical contacts on both sides of the O-E substrate. The waveguide board includes the electrical conductor transferring the signal from O-E board to PCB and the flex optical waveguide easily stackable onto the PCB to guide optical signal from one chip-to-other chip. Alternatively, the electrode can be directly connected to the PCB instead of including in the waveguide board. The chip-to-chip interconnections system is pin-free and compatible with the PCB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Banpil Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Achyut Kumar Dutta
  • Patent number: 7923311
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a pair of impurity doped second semiconductor layers, formed on a first semiconductor layer having a channel formation region therein, an outer edge of the first semiconductor film being at least partly coextensive with an outer edge of the impurity doped second semiconductor layers. The semiconductor device further includes source and drain electrodes formed on the pair of impurity doped second semiconductor layers, wherein the pair of impurity doped second semiconductor layers extend beyond inner sides edges of the source and drain electrodes so that a stepped portion is formed from an upper surface of the source and drain electrodes to a surface of the first semiconductor film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hongyong Zhang, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 7923332
    Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor device, the method includes the steps of: forming a hard mask layer with a mask opening on a semiconductor substrate in which is formed a source region; forming a side wall mask on the side wall of the mask opening; forming a trench by using the side wall mask and the hard mask layer as a mask in such a way that the trench reaches the source region; removing the side wall mask; forming a gate electrode inside the mask opening and the trench, with a gate insulating film interposed thereunder; forming a side wall on the side wall of the gate electrode; and forming a drain region on the surface of the semiconductor substrate which is adjacent to the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Shinpei Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7923378
    Abstract: A silicon-containing insulating film is formed on a target substrate by CVD, in a process field to be selectively supplied with a first process gas including di-iso-propylaminosilane gas and a second process gas including an oxidizing gas or nitriding gas. The film is formed by performing a plurality of times a cycle alternately including first and second steps. The first step performs supply of the first process gas, thereby forming an adsorption layer containing silicon on a surface of the target substrate. The second performs supply of the second process gas, thereby oxidizing or nitriding the adsorption layer on the surface of the target substrate. The second step includes an excitation period of supplying the second process gas to the process field while exciting the second process gas by an exciting mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhide Hasebe, Shigeru Nakajima, Jun Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7919841
    Abstract: A structure of an integrated circuit module includes a wiring board, a plurality of integrated circuits and at least one terminating resistance circuit. The wiring board has a mounting region on at least one surface thereof. The plurality of integrated circuits are mounted in the mounting region of the wiring board and spaced from one another in a first direction. The at least one terminating resistance circuit is arranged between at least two adjacent integrated circuits, and coupled to an output of a last of the plurality of integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Joo Park, Ki-Hyun Ko, Young Yun, Soo-Kyung Kim
  • Patent number: 7919343
    Abstract: A method for surface treatment of a group III nitride crystal includes the steps of lapping a surface of a group III nitride crystal using a hard abrasive grain with a Mohs hardness higher than 7, and abrasive-grain-free polishing the lapped surface of the group III nitride crystal using a polishing solution without containing abrasive grain, and the polishing solution without containing abrasive grain has a pH of not less than 1 and not more than 6, or not less than 8.5 and not more than 14. Accordingly, the method for surface treatment of a group III nitride crystal can be provided according to which hard abrasive grains remaining at the lapped crystal can be removed to reduce impurities at the crystal surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Ishibashi, Naoki Matsumoto, Masato Irikura
  • Patent number: 7919387
    Abstract: The present invention provides a memory device including at least two of a first dielectric on a semiconductor substrate; a floating gates corresponding to each of the at least two gate oxides; a second dielectric on the floating gates; a control gate conductor formed atop the second gate oxide; source and drain regions present in portions of the semiconducting substrate that are adjacent to each portion of the semiconducting substrate that is underlying the at least two of the first gate oxide, wherein the source and drain regions define a length of a channel positioned therebetween; and a low-k dielectric material that is at least present between adjacent floating gates of the floating gates corresponding to each of the at least two gate oxides, wherein the low-k dielectric material is present along a direction perpendicular to the length of the channel positioned therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Huilong Zhu
  • Patent number: 7919845
    Abstract: Formation of a hybrid integrated circuit device is described. A design for the integrated circuit is obtained and separated into at least two portions responsive to component sizes. A first die is formed for a first portion of the hybrid integrated circuit device using at least in part a first minimum dimension lithography. A second die is formed for a second portion of the device using at least in part a second minimum dimension lithography, where the second die has the second minimum dimension lithography as a smallest lithography used for the forming of the second die. The first die and the second die are attached to one another via coupling interconnects respectively thereof to provide the hybrid integrated circuit device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: James Karp, Steven P. Young, Bernard J. New, Scott S. Nance, Patrick J. Crotty
  • Patent number: 7915068
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method for making solar cells with sensitized quantum dots in the form of nanometer metal crystals. Firstly, a first substrate is provided. Then, a silicon-based film is grown on a side of the first substrate. A pattern mask process is executed to etch areas of the silicon-based film. Nanometer metal particles are provided on areas of the first substrate exposed from the silicon-based film. A metal electrode is attached to an opposite side of the first substrate. A second substrate is provided. A transparent conductive film is grown on the second substrate. A metal catalytic film is grown on the transparent conductive film. The second substrate, the transparent conductive film and the metal catalytic film together form a laminate. The laminate is inverted and provided on the first substrate. Finally, electrolyte is provided between the first substrate and the metal catalytic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Atomic Energy Council—Institute of Nuclear Energy Research
    Inventors: Meng-Chu Chen, Shan-Ming Lan, Tsun-Neng Yang, Zhen-Yu Li, Yu-Han Su, Chien-Te Ku, Yu-Hsiang Huang
  • Patent number: 7915082
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes depositing a mask of low melting point material on a surface of the semiconductor device; depositing a layer to be structured relative to the mask; and removing the mask of low melting point material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Gottfried Beer, Manfred Mengel
  • Patent number: 7915139
    Abstract: The present invention meets these needs by providing improved methods of filling gaps. In certain embodiments, the methods involve placing a substrate into a reaction chamber and introducing a vapor phase silicon-containing compound and oxidant into the chamber. Reactor conditions are controlled so that the silicon-containing compound and the oxidant are made to react and condense onto the substrate. The chemical reaction causes the formation of a flowable film, in some instances containing Si—OH, Si—H and Si—O bonds. The flowable film fills gaps on the substrates. The flowable film is then converted into a silicon oxide film, for example by plasma or thermal annealing. The methods of this invention may be used to fill high aspect ratio gaps, including gaps having aspect ratios ranging from 3:1 to 10:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Chi-I Lang, Judy H. Huang, Michael Barnes, Sunil Shanker
  • Patent number: 7915717
    Abstract: A package for an image sensor includes a lead frame having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; an image sensor mounted on the first surface of the lead frame; an optical cover spanning the first surface; and a plastic, optically transparent window in the optical cover and aligned with the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Carlos F. Rezende
  • Patent number: 7915621
    Abstract: A light source and method for fabricating the same are disclosed. The light source includes a substrate and a light emitting structure. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface, the second surface including a curved, convex surface with respect to the first surface of the substrate. The light emitting structure includes a first layer of a material of a first conductivity type overlying the first surface, an active layer overlying the first layer, the active layer generating light when holes and electrons recombine therein, and a second layer includes a material of a second conductivity type overlying the active layer and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A mirror layer overlies the light emitting structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Bridgelux, Inc.
    Inventor: Ghulam Hasnain
  • Patent number: 7910912
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes at least one phase-change pattern disposed on a semiconductor substrate. A planarized capping layer, a planarized protecting layer, and a planarized insulating layer are sequentially stacked to surround sidewalls of the at least one phase-change pattern. An interconnection layer pattern is disposed on the planarized capping layer, the planarized protecting layer, and the planarized insulating layer. The interconnection layer pattern is in contact with the phase-change pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Hyun Park, Jae-Hee Oh, Won-Cheol Jeong
  • Patent number: 7910483
    Abstract: Methods of etching substrates employing a trim process for critical dimension control for integrated circuits are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method of etching includes providing a first hard mask layer over a target layer; providing a second hard mask layer over the first hard mask layer; providing a photoresist layer over the second hard mask layer; forming a pattern in the photoresist layer; transferring the pattern into the second hard mask layer; and trimming the second hard mask layer with the photoresist layer on top of the second hard mask layer. The top surface of the second hard mask layer is protected by the photoresist and the substrate is protected by the overlying first hard mask layer during the trim etch, which can therefore be aggressive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mirzafer K Abatchev, Krupaker Murali Subramanian, Baosuo Zhou
  • Patent number: 7910475
    Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a semiconductor substrate with a surface region. The surface region includes one or more layers overlying the semiconductor substrate. In addition, the method includes depositing a dielectric layer overlying the surface region. The dielectric layer is formed by a CVD process. Furthermore, the method includes forming a diffusion barrier layer overlying the dielectric layer. In addition, the method includes forming a conductive layer overlying the diffusion barrier layer. Additionally, the method includes reducing the thickness of the conductive layer using a chemical-mechanical polishing process. The CVD process utilizes fluorine as a reactant to form the dielectric layer. In addition, the dielectric layer is associated with a dielectric constant equal or less than 3.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation
    Inventor: Ting Cheong Ang
  • Patent number: 7910434
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory array includes floating gates that have an inverted-T shape in cross section along a plane that is perpendicular to the direction along which floating cells are connected together to form a string. Adjacent strings are isolated by shallow trench isolation structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: SanDisk Corporation
    Inventors: Henry Chien, George Matamis, Tuan Pham, Masaaki Higashitani, Hidetaka Horiuchi, Jeffrey W. Lutze, Nima Mokhlesi, Yupin Kawing Fong