Patents Examined by Michael Trinh
  • Patent number: 6277688
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a capacitor of a dynamic random access memory cell is disclosed. The method includes forming a capacitor opening through a dielectric isolation interlayer to expose a buried contact area. A conductive bottom plug is subsequently formed in a bottom portion of the capacitor opening and makes an electrical connection with the contact area. A conductive spacer is formed on the sidewall of the opening and then a dielectric spacer is formed on the sidewall of the conductive spacer. Such leaves a channel in the center of the capacitor opening. A conductive center column is therefore in the channel. Subsequently, the dielectric spacer is removed while leaving the conductive sidewall spacer, center column, and bottom plug to serve as a bottom storage node of the capacitor. Finally, a capacitor dielectric layer and a top storage node are formed to complete the capacitor fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Horng-Huei Tseng
  • Patent number: 6271093
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing trench-bounded buried-channel p-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (p-MOSFETs), as used in dynamic random access memory (DRAM) technologies, for significantly reducing the anomalous buried-channel p-MOSFET sensitivity to device width. In one embodiment, the method comprises the initiation of a low temperature annealing step using an inert gas after the deep phosphorous n-well implant step, and prior to the boron buried-channel implant and 850° C. gate oxidation steps. Alternatively, the annealing step may be performed after the boron buried-channel implant and prior to the 850° C. gate oxidation step. In another embodiment, a rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) step is substituted for the 850° C. gate oxidation step, following the deep phosphorous n-well and boron buried-channel implant steps. Alternatively, an 850° C. gate oxidation step may follow the RTO gate oxidation step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Johan Alsmeier, Jack Allan Mandelman
  • Patent number: 6271067
    Abstract: Methods of forming field effect transistors and resultant field effect transistor circuitry are described. In one embodiment, a semiconductive substrate includes a field effect transistor having a body. A first resistive element is received by the substrate and connected between the transistor's gate and the body. A second resistive element is received by the substrate and connected between the body and a reference voltage node. The first and second resistive elements form a voltage divider which is configured to selectively change threshold voltages of the field effect transistor with state changes in the gate voltage. In a preferred embodiment, first and second diode assemblies are positioned over the substrate and connected between the gate and body, and the body and a reference voltage node to provide the voltage divider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Fernando Gonzalez, Chandra Mouli
  • Patent number: 6268265
    Abstract: A trench isolation method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit without a recessed groove that exposes the upper corner of the trench. A mask pattern is formed that exposes a predetermined area. A trench is etched through the mask pattern. Then a thermal oxide film is formed on the side walls and the bottom of the trench. A flowable oxide is then filled in the trench overflowing onto the mask pattern, and formed into a pattern. Then a surface of the flowable oxide film is etched until the mask pattern is exposed, thereby forming a flowable oxide film pattern. Then the exposed mask pattern is removed by a wet etchant, which also etches the flowable oxide film pattern, and thus forms a recessed groove. Then thermal annealing is performed, which eliminates the grooves, and forms an isolation film covering the upper corner of the trench. The thermal oxide film prevents impurities of the flowing oxide from diffusing into the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sun-ha Hwang, Takashi Simada
  • Patent number: 6268249
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. A semiconductor device having first and second transistor regions and a field region includes a semiconductor substrate having a first type conductivity, a first trench in the substrate at the field region separating the first and second transistor regions from each other, a second trench in the substrate over the first trench, a first field oxide layer in the first trench, a second field oxide layer in the second trench over the first field oxide layer, first and second gate oxide layers on sides of the second trench, first and second gates in the second field oxide layer, and second and third impurity regions at the bottom surface of the second trench and first and fourth impurity regions outside the second trench on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-Bong Ha
  • Patent number: 6265283
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating an isolation structure on a substrate are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating an isolation structure on a substrate is provided that includes forming a first insulating layer on the substrate wherein the first insulating layer has a first sidewall. A trench is formed in the substrate that has a second sidewall. A second insulating layer is formed in the trench. The second insulating layer displaces the second sidewall laterally. The first insulating layer is densified by heating to liberate gas therefrom and thereby move the first sidewall into substantial vertical alignment with the second sidewall. The risk of substrate attack due to trench isolation structure pullback is reduced. Trench edges are covered by thick isolation material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Homi E. Nariman, Sey-Ping Sun, H. Jim Fulford
  • Patent number: 6261903
    Abstract: The present invention provides a novel integrated circuit device, which has a flash memory cell. The flash memory cell (100) has a tunnel dielectric layer (113) overlying a surface of a semiconductor substrate. A floating gate layer (107) is defined overlying the tunnel dielectric layer. The gate layer has an edge defined thereon, where a sidewall spacer (108) extends along and on the edge. The sidewall spacer includes a first portion defined adjacent to the edge and a second portion extending from the first portion to a region substantially outside the edge. The combination of the sidewall spacer and the gate layer provide a novel surface for increasing gate coupling ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Mosel Vitelic, Inc.
    Inventors: A. J. Chang, Kuo-Tung Sung
  • Patent number: 6261881
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, the device being provided with a semiconductor circuit consisting of a semiconductor element that is capable of improving characteristics of a TFT and has uniform characteristics, the device and the method being provided by improving the interface between an active layer, in particular, a region for constructing a channel formation region and an insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Setsuo Nakajima
  • Patent number: 6258690
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a capacitor portion consisting of a lower electrode, a dielectric film, and an upper electrode on a semiconductor substrate, a silicon film is formed on a surface of the lower electrode and a surface of an insulating film adjacent to the lower electrode. Annealing is preformed in an atmosphere containing nitrogen or ammonia to nitride the silicon film. A silicon nitride film is formed by LP-CVD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masanobu Zenke
  • Patent number: 6255184
    Abstract: A process for fabricating a bipolar junction transistor, featuring an N type, polysilicon emitter structure, located in an emitter trench, and featuring a narrow width. P type base region, located directly underlying an N type, emitter region, which is formed in the semiconductor substrate, along the vertical and horizontal sides of the emitter trench, has been developed. The process features forming an emitter trench in a semiconductor substrate, followed by a large angle ion implantation procedure, used to form a P type, base region, in an area of the semiconductor substrate located along the sides of the emitter trench. Formation of a polysilicon emitter structure, followed by an anneal cycle, create a narrow width, emitter region, underlying the polysilicon emitter structure, also resulting in the formation of a narrow width, P type base region, located between the overlying N type emitter region, and an underlying N type, epitaxial silicon layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Episil Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ching-Tzong Sune
  • Patent number: 6251733
    Abstract: In a CMOS circuit, impurity regions are formed in the channel forming region of each of an n-channel and p-channel transistors along the channel direction. The intervals between the impurity regions in the n-channel transistor is set narrower than those between the impurity regions in the p-channel transistor so as to make the absolute values of the threshold voltages of the n-channel and p-channel transistors approximately equal to each other. Where active layers are formed by utilizing a crystal structural body that is a collection of needle-like or columnar crystals, the same effect can be attained by controlling the width of the needle-like or columnar crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6251708
    Abstract: A hybrid lead frame having leads for conventional lead-to-I/O wire bonding, and leads for power and ground bussing that extend over a surface of the semiconductor die are provided where the leads for bussing are held in place by lead-lock tape to prevent bending and/or other movement of the bussing leads during manufacturing. More specifically, the lead-lock tape is transversely attached across a plurality of bussing leads proximate to and outside of the position where the die is to be attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry M. Brooks, Larry D. Kinsman, Timothy J. Allen
  • Patent number: 6251730
    Abstract: In the manufacture of a semiconductor power device such as a trench-gate power MOSFET, a source region (13) is formed using a sidewall extension (30) of an upstanding insulated-gate structure (11,21,22). The sidewall extension (30) forms a step with an adjacent surface area (10a′) of a body region (15) of a first conductivity type and comprises doped semiconductor material (13a) of opposite, second conductivity type which is separated from the gate (11) by insulating material (22). The body region (15) provides a channel-accommodating portion (15a) adjacent to the gate structure (11,21,22) and also comprises a localised high-doped portion (15b) which extends to a greater depth in the semiconductor body (10) than the shallow p-n junction between the source region (13) and the channel-accommodating portion (15a), and preferably deeper even than the bottom of the trench (20) of a trench-gate device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: JiKui Luo
  • Patent number: 6251737
    Abstract: A method for increasing gate surface area for depositing silicide material. A silicon substrate having device isolation structures therein is provided. A stack of sacrificial layers comprising a first sacrificial layer at the bottom, a second sacrificial layer in the middle and a third sacrificial layer on top is formed over the silicon substrate. A gate opening that exposes a portion of the substrate is formed in the stack of sacrificial layers. A portion of the second sacrificial layer exposed by the gate opening is next removed to form a side opening on each side of the gate opening. The gate opening together with the horizontal side opening form a cross-shaped hollow space. A gate oxide layer is formed at the bottom of the gate opening. Polysilicon material is deposited to fill the gate opening and the side openings, thereby forming a cross-shaped gate polysilicon layer. The third, the second and the first sacrificial layers are removed. A metal silicide layer is formed over the gate polysilicon layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventor: Tong-Hsin Lee
  • Patent number: 6245662
    Abstract: A dual damascene technique that forms a complete via in a single step. Specifically, the method deposits a first insulator layer upon a substrate, an etch stop layer over the first insulator layer, and a second insulator layer atop the etch stop layer. A via mask is then formed by applying a photoresist which is developed and patterned according to the locations of the dimensions of the ultimate via or vias. Thereafter, the first insulator layer, the etch stop layer and the second insulator layer may be etched in a single step, for example, using a reactive ion etch. The hole that is formed through these three layers has the diameter of the ultimate via. Thereafter, a trench is masked and etched into the second insulator layer. The trench etch is stopped by the etch stop layer. The via and trench are metallized to form an interconnect structure. The technique can be repeated to create a multi-level interconnect structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehul Naik, Samuel Broydo
  • Patent number: 6245691
    Abstract: A method for forming a silicon oxide dielectric layer within a microelectronics fabrication. There is first provided a silicon substrate layer employed within a microelectronics fabrication. There is then formed employing the silicon substrate a thermal silicon oxide layer through thermal oxidation of the silicon substrate layer. There is then formed upon the thermal silicon oxide layer a second silicon oxide layer formed through use of a thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method employing ozone as an oxidant and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as a silicon source material. The thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method also employs a reactor chamber pressure of from about 40 to about 80 torr. The second silicon oxide layer is formed with an attenuated surface sensitivity of the second silicon oxide layer with respect to the thermal silicon oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Syun-Ming Jang, Chen-Hua Yu
  • Patent number: 6242366
    Abstract: A liquid short-chain polymer of the general formula RaSi(OH)b or (R)aSiHb(OH)c is deposited on a substrate, where a+b=4 or a+b+c=4, respectively, a, b and c are integers, R is a carbon-containing group and a silicon to carbon bond is indicated by Fourier Transfer Infrared analysis. The short-chain polymer is then subjected to further polymerization to form an amorphous structure of the general formula (RxSiOy)n, where x and y are integers, x+y=4, x≠0, n equals 1 to ∞, R is a carbon-containing group and a silicon to carbon bond is indicated by Fourier Transfer Infrared analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Trikon Equipments Limited
    Inventors: Knut Beekman, Adrian Kiermasz, Simon McClatchie, Mark Philip Taylor, Peter Leslie Timms
  • Patent number: 6242337
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a first interlevel insulating film is formed on a silicon wafer. A metal film is formed on the first interlevel insulating film. The metal film is formed to form a first electrode wiring layer having an end located inside an end of the first interlevel insulating film on a peripheral portion of the silicon wafer. An insulating film is formed on the silicon wafer including the first interlevel insulating film and the first electrode wiring layer. A second interlevel insulating film having an end located outside the end of the first electrode wiring layer on the peripheral portion of the silicon wafer is formed by processing the insulating film. A device manufactured by this manufacturing method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Norio Okada
  • Patent number: 6235546
    Abstract: The capacitance of a pixel of an active matrix liquid crystal light valve is increased without reducing its optical transparency by adding polysilicon islands under the adjacent gate lines, degeneratively doping the islands to render them conductive under operating conditions, thermally oxidizing the islands to form dielectric layers, depositing gate lines over the dielectric layers to form extra capacitors, and connecting the islands to the adjacent pixel electrodes. Such active matrix displays are advantageously employed in a color projection TV to produce the separate red, blue and green components of a full color display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: North American Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Edward H. Stupp, Babar A. Khan
  • Patent number: 6235629
    Abstract: A process for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming a first insulating film on an underlayer having an electrically conductive layer; forming a first opening in the first insulating film to expose at least part of the electrically conductive layer; forming on the first insulating film a second insulating film which is more susceptible to etching than the first insulating film while filling the first opening with the second insulating film; forming a mask having an opening at least as large as the first opening in a region on the second insulating film which region corresponds to the first opening; removing at least the second insulating film filling the first opening with use of the mask thereby to form a second opening; depositing a material for forming a wiring layer entirely on a surface so as to fill the first opening and the second opening with the material, thereby to form in the first opening and the second opening a wiring layer which electrically connects to the electrical
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Takenaka