Patents Examined by Michelle Estrada
  • Patent number: 7879667
    Abstract: A technique is presented which provides for a selective pre-amorphization of source/drain regions of a transistor while preventing pre-amorphization of a gate electrode of the transistor. Illustrative embodiments include the formation of a pre-amorphization implant blocking material over the gate electrode. Further illustrative embodiments include inducing a strain in a channel region by use of various stressors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Globalfoundries Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Mowry, Markus Lenski, Andy Wei, Roman Boschke
  • Patent number: 7875512
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method including: forming a first region and a second region in a semiconductor substrate by forming an element isolation region; forming an insulating film on the semiconductor substrate in the first region and the second region; forming a first metal film on the insulating film in the first region and in the second region; removing the first metal film in the second region; forming a second metal film on the first metal film in the first region and on the insulating film in the second region; and flattening top surfaces in the first region and the second region by performing a flattening process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Akiko Nomachi
  • Patent number: 7867837
    Abstract: A polysilicon layer provided for a polysilicon electrode (8) is patterned by means of a resist mask (5) and an auxiliary layer (4) made of a material that is suitable as an antireflection layer, the auxiliary layer (4) being provided with lateral hollowed-out recesses in such a way that the polysilicon electrode is formed with rounded edges (7) during etching. The auxiliary layer is preferably produced from a soluble material and with a thickness of 70 nm to 80 nm. A base layer (2) may be provided as a gate dielectric of memory cell transistors and additionally as an etching stop layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Austriamicrosystems AG
    Inventors: Franz Bermann, Günther Koppitsch, Sven Schroeter
  • Patent number: 7863665
    Abstract: A method and structure for reducing cracks in a dielectric in contact with a metal structure. The metal structure comprises a first metal layer; a second metal layer disposed on, and in contact with the first metal layer, the second metal layer being stiffer than the first metal layer; a third metal layer disposed on, and in contact with the second metal layer, the second metal layer being stiffer than the third metal layer. An additional metal is included wherein the dielectric layer is disposed between the metal structure and the additional metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Barry J. Liles, Colin S. Whelan
  • Patent number: 7863103
    Abstract: A semiconductor device without cantilevered leads uses conductive wires (120) to connect the chip terminals to the leads (110), and a package compound (140) to encapsulate the chip surface (101a) with the terminals, the wires, and the lead surfaces with the attached wires. The chip surface (101b) opposite the terminals together with portions (103) of the chip sidewalls protrude from the package, allowing an unimpeded thermal contact of the protruding chip surface to a substrate (201) to optimize the thermal flux from the chip to the substrate. Solder bodies (250) attached to the compound-free lead surfaces (113b) can be connected to the substrate so that the solder bodies are as elongated as the protruding chip height, facilitating the void-free distribution of an underfill compound into the space between chip and substrate, and improving the absorption of thermomechanical stresses during device operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Donald C Abbott
  • Patent number: 7858401
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a light source that irradiates a light on an object; a lens body that converges a reflection of the light from the object; a plurality of IC chips that receive the reflection passed through the lens body; and a transparent member provided between the IC chips and the lens body. The transparent member includes a refractive index changing region provided at a portion opposite to a gap between adjacent IC chips. A refractive index in the refractive index changing region increases continuously or stepwise toward an inner portion of the transparent member from a surface of the transparent member on an IC chips side so that the refractive index changing region refracts a part of the reflection to be incident into the gap to the IC chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takafumi Endo, Yohei Nokami
  • Patent number: 7858464
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing non-volatile memory devices that can reduce or prevent loss of charges stored in a charge storage layer and/or that can improve charge storage capacity by neutral beam irradiation of an insulating layer are disclosed. The methods include forming a tunneling insulating layer on a substrate, forming a charge storage layer on the tunneling insulating layer, forming a blocking insulating layer on the charge storage layer, irradiating the blocking insulating layer and/or the tunneling insulating layer with a neutral beam, and forming a gate conductive layer on the blocking insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soo-doo Chae, Chung-woo Kim, Choong-man Lee, Yung-hee Lee, Chan-jin Park, Sung-wook Hwang, Jeong-hee Han, Do-haing Lee, Jin-seok Lee
  • Patent number: 7858534
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprises a process of forming a film on each of multiple substrates arrayed in a processing chamber by a thermal CVD method by supplying a film forming gas into the processing chamber while heating the interior of the processing chamber, wherein in the film forming process, a cycle is performed one time or multiple times with one cycle including a step of flowing the film forming gas from one end towards the other end along the substrate array direction, and a step of flowing the film forming gas from the other end towards the one end along the substrate array direction, without forming temperature gradient along the substrate array direction in the processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventor: Kiyohiko Maeda
  • Patent number: 7855153
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an insulating film, which is used as an insulating film used for a semiconductor integrated circuit, whose reliability can be ensured even though it has small thickness, is provided. In particular, a method for manufacturing a high-quality insulating film over a substrate having an insulating surface, which can be enlarged, at low substrate temperature, is provided. A monosilane gas (SiH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and a rare gas are introduced into a chamber to generate high-density plasma at a pressure higher than or equal to 10 Pa and lower than or equal to 30 Pa so that an insulating film is formed over a substrate having an insulating surface. After that, the supply of a monosilane gas is stopped, and nitrous oxide (N2O) and a rare gas are introduced without exposure to the air to perform plasma treatment on a surface of the insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Ichijo, Kenichi Okazaki, Tetsuhiro Tanaka, Takashi Ohtsuki, Seiji Yasumoto, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7851881
    Abstract: A merged PN/Schottky diode is provided having a substrate of a first conductivity type and a grid of doped wells of the second conductivity type embedded in the substrate. A Schottky barrier metal layer makes a Schottky barrier contact with the surface of the substrate above the grid. Selected embedded wells in the grid make a Schottky barrier contact to the Schottky barrier metal layer, while most embedded wells do not. The diode forward voltage drop is reduced for the same diode area with reverse blocking benefits similar to a conventional JBS structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Microsemi Corporation
    Inventors: Feng Zhao, Bruce Odekirk, Dumitru Sdrulla
  • Patent number: 7842595
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an electronic-photonic device. Epitaxially depositing an n-doped III-V composite semiconductor alloy buffer layer on a crystalline surface of a substrate at a first temperature. Forming an active layer on the n-doped III-V epitaxial composite semiconductor alloy buffer layer at a second temperature, the active layer including a plurality of spheroid-shaped quantum dots. Depositing a p-doped III-V composite semiconductor alloy capping layer on the active layer at a third temperature. The second temperature is less than the first temperature and the third temperature. The active layer has a photoluminescence intensity emission peak in the telecommunication C-band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventors: Nick Sauer, Nils Weimann, Liming Zhang
  • Patent number: 7838401
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a field-effect transistor arranged in a semiconductor substrate, which transistor has a gate electrode, source/drain impurity diffusion regions, and carbon layers surrounding the source/drain impurity diffusion regions. Each of the carbon layers is provided at an associated of the source/drain impurity diffusion regions and positioned so as to be offset from the front edge of a source/drain extension in direction away from the gate electrode and to surround as profile the associated source/drain impurity diffusion region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ohta, Kenichi Okabe
  • Patent number: 7833836
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip having an adhesive layer previously formed on an element forming surface thereof and having a bump exposed from the surface of the adhesive layer is wire-bonded to a printed circuit board. Another semiconductor chip is stacked on the above semiconductor chip with the adhesive layer disposed therebetween and is wire-bonded to the printed circuit board by wire bonding. Likewise, at least one semiconductor chip is sequentially stacked on the thus attained semiconductor structure to form a stack MCP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shinya Takyu, Kazuhiro Iizuka, Mika Kiritani
  • Patent number: 7832353
    Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a processing unit for processing at least one wafer; a loading/unloading unit for loading/unloading at least wafer; an input/output chamber for taking in a processed wafer from the processing unit and taking out the processed wafer to the loading/unloading unit, and taking in a unprocessed wafer from the loading/unloading unit and taking out the unprocessed wafer to the reaction unit; and a wafer inspection device for inspecting the processed wafer through a light transmittable top portion of the input/output chamber, through which light is transmittable, while the processed wafer is temporarily placed in the input/output chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa, Teruhide Nishino
  • Patent number: 7829463
    Abstract: A plasma processing method performs a desired plasma process on substrates by using a plasma generated in a processing space. A first and a second electrode are disposed in parallel in a processing vessel that is grounded, the substrate is supported on the second electrode to face the first electrode, the processing vessel is vacuum evacuated, a desired processing gas is supplied into the processing space formed between the first electrode, the second electrode and a sidewall of the processing vessel, and a first radio frequency power is supplied to the second electrode. The first electrode is connected to the processing vessel via an insulator or a space, and is electrically coupled to a ground potential via a capacitance varying unit whose electrostatic capacitance is varied based on a process condition of the plasma process performed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Naoki Matsumoto, Chishio Koshimizu, Manabu Iwata, Satoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7829352
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a system and method for creating nano-object arrays. A nano-object array can be created by exposing troughs in a corrugated surface to nano-objects and depositing the nano-objects within or orienting the nano-objects with the troughs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Pavel Kornilovich, Peter Mardilovich, James Stasiak
  • Patent number: 7824947
    Abstract: A thin film solar cell including a Group IBIIIAVIA absorber layer on a defect free base including a stainless steel substrate is provided. The stainless steel substrate of the base is surface treated to remove the surface roughness such as protrusions that cause shunts. Before removing the protrusions, a thin protective ruthenium film is first deposited on the recessed surface portions of the substrate to protect these portions during the following protrusion removal. The protrusions on the surface receives very little or no ruthenium during the deposition. After the ruthenium film is formed, the protrusions are etched and removed by an etchant which only attacks the stainless steel but neutral to the ruthenium film. A contact layer is formed over the ruthenium layer and the exposed portions of the substrate to complete the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: SoloPower, Inc.
    Inventors: Mustafa Pinarbasi, Serdar Aksu, Bulent M. Basol
  • Patent number: 7821094
    Abstract: A light emitting diode structure has a silicon substrate, a conductive layer, and a light emitting diode. The top surface of the silicon substrate has a cup-structure like paraboloid, and the bottom of the cup-structure has a plurality of through-holes penetrating the silicon substrate. The conductive layer fills up the through-holes and protrudes out from the through-holes. The light emitting diode is disposed on the top of the conductive layer protruding out from the through-holes and is located at the focus of the cup-structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Touch Micro-System Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Hung-Yi Lin, Hong-Da Chang
  • Patent number: 7816776
    Abstract: A stacked semiconductor device and a method of forming a serial path of the stacked semiconductor device are provided. The stacked semiconductor device includes a plurality of chips each having a first internal circuit for receiving an input signal, performing a designated operation and outputting an output signal. Each of the chips includes a serial bump disposed at the same position on one surface of each of the chips, receiving the input signal and transferring the input signal to the first internal circuit, and a serial through-silicon via (TSV) disposed at a position symmetrical to the serial bump with respect to a center of the chip to penetrate the chip, and receiving and transferring the output signal. Here, the chips are alternately rotated and stacked, so that the serial TSV and the serial bumps of adjacent chips contact each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young-Don Choi
  • Patent number: 7811946
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device having a coating film of a predetermined thickness provided along the circumference of a semiconductor light emitting element, and provide a method for easily manufacturing the semiconductor device. A semiconductor light emitting element 2 that emits blue light is mounted face down on the top face of a pedestal 1, and a coating film 3 containing a YAG fluorescent material 6 that emits yellow light is placed so as to cover the top face and side face of the semiconductor light emitting element 2 and the top face of the pedestal 1. With the semiconductor light emitting element 2 and other elements placed between a first film 8 and a second film 9, the films are laminated in vacuum, thereby to fasten the coating film 3 onto the semiconductor light emitting element 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Nichia Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiro Izuno, Shinsuke Sofue