Patents Examined by Michael Shingleton
  • Patent number: 9887695
    Abstract: A circuit and method for controlling charge injection in a circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, the circuit and method are employed in a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) Radio Frequency (RF) switch. In one embodiment, an SOI RF switch comprises a plurality of switching transistors coupled in series, referred to as “stacked” transistors, and implemented as a monolithic integrated circuit on an SOI substrate. Charge injection control elements are coupled to receive injected charge from resistively-isolated nodes located between the switching transistors, and to convey the injected charge to at least one node that is not resistively-isolated. In one embodiment, the charge injection control elements comprise resistors. In another embodiment, the charge injection control elements comprise transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Dribinsky, Tae Youn Kim, Dylan J. Kelly, Christopher N. Brindle
  • Patent number: 9882000
    Abstract: A field effect transistor (FET) including a substrate, a plurality of semiconductor epitaxial layers deposited on the substrate, and a heavily doped gate layer deposited on the semiconductor layers. The FET also includes a plurality of castellation structures formed on the heavily doped gate layer and being spaced apart from each other, where each castellation structure includes at least one channel layer. A gate metal is deposited on the castellation structures and between the castellation structures to be in direct electrical contact with the heavily doped gate layer. A voltage potential applied to the gate metal structure modulates the at least one channel layer in each castellation structure from an upper, lower and side direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen J. Sarkozy, Yaochung Chen, Richard Lai
  • Patent number: 9871011
    Abstract: A semiconductor package, and a method of manufacturing thereof, comprising a contact in a plated sidewall encapsulant opening, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Amkor Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Yun Kim, Tae Kyung Hwang, Jin Han Kim, Jong Sik Paek, Kyoung Rock Kim, Byong Jin Kim, Jae Beum Shim
  • Patent number: 9852910
    Abstract: Various improvements in vertical transistors, such as IGBTs, are disclosed. The improvements include forming periodic highly-doped p-type emitter dots in the top surface region of a growth substrate, followed by growing the various transistor layers, followed by grounding down the bottom surface of the substrate, followed by a wet etch of the bottom surface to expose the heavily doped p+ layer. A metal contact is then formed over the p+ layer. In another improvement, edge termination structures utilize p-dopants implanted in trenches to create deep p-regions for shaping the electric field, and shallow p-regions between the trenches for rapidly removing holes after turn-off. In another improvement, a dual buffer layer using an n-layer and distributed n+ regions improves breakdown voltage and saturation voltage. In another improvement, p-zones of different concentrations in a termination structure are formed by varying pitches of trenches. In another improvement, beveled saw streets increase breakdown voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: MaxPower Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Hamza Yilmaz
  • Patent number: 9853051
    Abstract: A semiconductor device may include a first cell structure, a second cell structure, a pad structure, a circuit, and one or more openings. The pad structure may be disposed between the first cell structure and the second cell structure, and may be electrically coupled to the first and second cell structures. The pad structure may have a plurality of stepped structures. The circuit may be disposed under the pad structure. The one or more openings may pass through the pad structure, and may expose the circuit. The one or more openings may be disposed between the plurality of stepped structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Nam Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 9853135
    Abstract: A vertical-mode tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET) is provided with an oxide region that may be laterally positioned relative to a source region. The oxide region operates to reduce a tunneling effect in a tunnel region underlying a drain region, during an OFF-state of the TFET. The reduction in tunneling effect results in a reduction or elimination of a flow of OFF-state leakage current between the source region and the drain region. The TFET may have components made from group III-V compound materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: Jack C. Lee, Han Zhao
  • Patent number: 9847367
    Abstract: Provided herein is a digital x-ray detector and a method for repairing a bad pixel thereof, the detector including a substrate; a gate line and a data line formed on the substrate such that the gate line and the data line intersect each other to form a pixel domain; a thin film transistor formed within the pixel domain such that the thin film transistor is adjacent to a portion where the gate line and the data line intersect each other, the thin film transistor including a gate electrode, an active layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode; a PIN diode which is formed within the pixel domain and which includes a lower electrode connected to the source electrode of the thin film transistor, a PIN layer formed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed on the PIN layer; a bias line connected to the upper electrode of the PIN diode; and a scintillator arranged above the PIN diode, wherein on at least one of a surface of the drain electrode which faces the PIN diode and a surface of the PIN diode
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Hydis Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jang Jong Ho
  • Patent number: 9847346
    Abstract: A three-dimensional semiconductor memory device includes a stack on a substrate including electrodes vertically stacked on a substrate, lower insulating patterns disposed between the stack and the substrate, the lower insulating patterns being adjacent to both sidewalls of the stack and being spaced apart from each other, a plurality of vertical structures penetrating the stack and being connected to the substrate, and a data storing pattern between the stack and the vertical structures, the data storing pattern including a portion disposed between the lowermost one of the electrodes and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Changhyun Lee, Heonkyu Lee, Shinhwan Kang, Youngwoo Park
  • Patent number: 9837433
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a substrate defined with cell regions and a contact region between the cell regions; a dielectric structure formed over the contact region; a memory block having cell parts which are respectively formed over the cell regions, a coupling part which is formed over the contact region and couples the cell parts, and a through part which accommodates the dielectric structure; a peripheral circuit formed over the substrate under the memory block; bottom wiring lines disposed between the memory block and the peripheral circuit, and electrically coupled with the peripheral circuit; top wiring lines disposed over the memory block; and contact plugs passing through the dielectric structure and coupling the bottom wiring lines and the top wiring lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Sung-Lae Oh, Jin-Ho Kim, Chang-Man Son, Go-Hyun Lee, Young-Ock Hong
  • Patent number: 9825128
    Abstract: Various improvements in vertical transistors, such as IGBTs, are disclosed. The improvements include forming periodic highly-doped p-type emitter dots in the top surface region of a growth substrate, followed by growing the various transistor layers, followed by grounding down the bottom surface of the substrate, followed by a wet etch of the bottom surface to expose the heavily doped p+ layer. A metal contact is then formed over the p+ layer. In another improvement, edge termination structures utilize p-dopants implanted in trenches to create deep p-regions for shaping the electric field, and shallow p-regions between the trenches for rapidly removing holes after turn-off. In another improvement, a dual buffer layer using an n-layer and distributed n+ regions improves breakdown voltage and saturation voltage. In another improvement, p-zones of different concentrations in a termination structure are formed by varying pitches of trenches. In another improvement, beveled saw streets increase breakdown voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: MaxPower Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Hamza Yilmaz
  • Patent number: 9825140
    Abstract: A metal oxide thin film transistor (TFT) includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a metal oxide active layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. The gate electrode is formed on a substrate. The gate insulating layer is formed on the substrate and covers the gate electrode. The metal oxide active layer is formed on the gate insulating layer. The drain electrode and the source electrode are formed on two opposite ends of the metal oxide active layer in a spaced-apart manner, in which at least one of the orthographic projection of the source electrode and the orthographic projection of the drain electrode on the substrate does not overlap the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: E Ink Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Chia-Chun Yeh, Henry Wang, Xue-Hung Tsai, Chih-Hsuan Wang
  • Patent number: 9812526
    Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor device includes a plurality of gate electrodes stacked on a substrate in a direction normal to a top surface of the substrate, a channel structure passing through the gate electrodes and connected to the substrate, and a void disposed in the substrate and positioned below the channel structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyung-Jun Shin, Byoungil Lee, Dongseog Eun, Hyunkook Lee, Seong Soon Cho
  • Patent number: 9806077
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes forming a fin structure over a substrate and forming an insulating layer around the fin structure. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure further includes removing a portion of the fin structure to form a trench in the insulating layer and filling the trench with a semiconductor material. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure further includes reflowing the semiconductor material to form a nanowire structure and a cavity under the nanowire structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Blandine Duriez, Georgios Vellianitis
  • Patent number: 9805933
    Abstract: Various improvements in vertical transistors, such as IGBTs, are disclosed. The improvements include forming periodic highly-doped p-type emitter dots in the top surface region of a growth substrate, followed by growing the various transistor layers, followed by grounding down the bottom surface of the substrate, followed by a wet etch of the bottom surface to expose the heavily doped p+ layer. A metal contact is then formed over the p+ layer. In another improvement, edge termination structures utilize p-dopants implanted in trenches to create deep p-regions for shaping the electric field, and shallow p-regions between the trenches for rapidly removing holes after turn-off. In another improvement, a dual buffer layer using an n-layer and distributed n+ regions improves breakdown voltage and saturation voltage. In another improvement, p-zones of different concentrations in a termination structure are formed by varying pitches of trenches. In another improvement, beveled saw streets increase breakdown voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: MaxPower Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Hamza Yilmaz
  • Patent number: 9799772
    Abstract: A TFT device including: a gate electrode; a channel layer above the gate electrode; a channel protection layer on the channel layer; an electrode pair on the channel protection layer composed of a source electrode and a drain electrode that are spaced away from one another, a part of each of the source electrode and the drain electrode in contact with the channel layer through the channel protection layer; and a passivation layer extending over the gate electrode, the channel layer, the electrode pair, and the channel protection layer. The channel layer is made of an oxide semiconductor. The TFT device has a first sub-layer made of one of silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride and in which Si—H density is no greater than 2.3×1021 cm?3. The first sub-layer is included in at least one of the channel protection layer and the passivation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: JOLED INC.
    Inventor: Yuta Sugawara
  • Patent number: 9799718
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a plurality of pixels disposed over a substrate. Each pixel includes a scan line extending along a first direction, a data line extending along a second direction which is different from the first direction. Each pixel includes a switching thin film transistor connected to the scan line and the data line and including a switching gate electrode, a switching source electrode, and a switching drain electrode, a driving thin film transistor connected to the switching thin film transistor and including a driving gate electrode, a driving source electrode, and a driving drain electrode, and a storage capacitor connected to the driving thin film transistor and including a first capacitor electrode, a dielectric layer, and a second capacitor electrode which are sequentially stacked. Each of the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode is disposed on a different layer from those of the scan line and the data line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyuntae Kim, Ae Shin, Dongsoo Kim, Jingon Oh
  • Patent number: 9798200
    Abstract: A pixel structure of a liquid crystal display panel includes a substrate, a switch device, a pixel electrode, an insulating layer, and a patterned common electrode. The switch device and the pixel electrode are disposed on the substrate, and the switch device is electrically connected to the pixel electrode. The insulating layer is disposed on the substrate and covers the switch device and the pixel electrode, wherein the insulating layer includes a plurality of trenches. The patterned common electrode is disposed on the insulating layer and does not cover the trenches. The pixel structure of the liquid crystal display panel and related manufacturing method are able to enhance the driving effect of the liquid crystal molecules, reduce the driving voltage and increase alignment performance of the alignment film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Chen Liu, Ya-Ju Lu, Kuo-Wei Wu
  • Patent number: 9793372
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor and a dummy gate structure. The first transistor includes a first gate structure. The first gate structure includes a first gate insulation layer including a high-k dielectric material and a first gate electrode. The second transistor includes a second gate structure. The second gate structure includes a second gate insulation layer including the high-k dielectric material and a second gate electrode. The dummy gate structure is arranged between the first transistor and the second transistor and substantially does not include the high-k dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Elliot John Smith, Jan Hoentschel, Nigel Chan, Sven Beyer
  • Patent number: 9793338
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate and a composite capacitor structure on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the composite capacitor structure comprises a capacitor stack comprising a lower and an upper capacitor, respectively comprising first and second dielectric materials, wherein the first and second dielectric materials are different materials and/or have different thicknesses from each other. This can minimize the voltage dependence of the capacitance of the composite capacitor structure. It is also possible to provide a composite capacitor structure on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the composite capacitor structure comprises at least a first and a second capacitor stack, each comprising a lower and an upper capacitor. The capacitors can be MIM capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: X-FAB SEMICONDUCTOR FOUNDRIES AG
    Inventors: Tsui Ping Chu, Peng Yang, Evie Siaw Hei Kho, Yong Kheng Ang, Swee Hua Tia
  • Patent number: 9783411
    Abstract: A configuration for a capacitive pressure sensor uses a silicon on insulator wafer to create an electrically isolated sensing node across a gap from a pressure sensing wafer. The electrical isolation, small area of the gap, and silicon material throughout the capacitive pressure sensor allow for minimal parasitic capacitance and avoid problems associated with thermal mismatch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventors: David P. Potasek, Sean Houlihan