Patents Examined by Michelle Estrada
  • Patent number: 7800137
    Abstract: The invention includes methods of forming electrically conductive material between line constructions associated with a peripheral region or a pitch region of a semiconductor substrate. The electrically conductive material can be incorporated into an electrically-grounded shield, and/or can be configured to create a magnetic field bias. Also, the conductive material can have electrically isolated segments that are utilized as electrical jumpers for connecting circuit elements. The invention also includes semiconductor constructions comprising the electrically conductive material between line constructions associated with one or both of the pitch region and the peripheral region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Fischer, Terrence B. McDaniel
  • Patent number: 7795060
    Abstract: Aimed at stably forming sheared surfaces of leads of semiconductor devices, and at raising ratio of formation of plated layers onto the sheared surfaces of the leads, a lead cutter has a die 106, and a cutting punch 110 having a cutting edge at least on the surface facing the die, wherein clearance T between the die 106 and the cutting punch 110 is set within the range from not smaller than 2.3% and smaller than 14.0% of the total thickness of the leads to be cut and plated layers formed on the upper and the lower surfaces thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Tooru Kumamoto
  • Patent number: 7785989
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solar cell by providing a gallium arsenide carrier with a prepared bonding surface; providing a sapphire substrate; bonding the gallium arsenide carrier and the sapphire substrate to produce a composite structure; detaching the bulk of the gallium arsenide carrier from the composite structure, leaving a gallium arsenide growth substrate on the sapphire substrate; and depositing a sequence of layers of semiconductor material forming a solar cell on the growth substrate. For some solar cells, the method further includes mounting a surrogate second substrate on top of the sequence of layers of semiconductor material forming a solar cell; and removing the growth substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Emcore Solar Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul R. Sharps, Arthur Cornfeld, Tansen Varghese, Fred Newman, Jacqueline Diaz
  • Patent number: 7777217
    Abstract: In a method for making an inclusion-free uniformly semi-insulating GaN crystal, an epitaxial nitride layer is deposited on a substrate. A 3D nucleation GaN layer is grown on the epitaxial nitride layer by HVPE under a substantially 3D growth mode, wherein a surface of the nucleation layer is substantially covered with pits and the aspect ratio of the pits is essentially the same. A GaN transitional layer is grown on the nucleation layer by HVPE under a condition that changes the growth mode from the substantially 3D growth mode to a substantially 2D growth mode. After growing the transitional layer, a surface of the transitional layer is substantially pit-free. A bulk GaN layer is grown on the transitional layer by HVPE. After growing the bulk layer, a surface of the bulk layer is smooth and substantially pit-free. The GaN is doped with a transition metal during at least one of the foregoing GaN growth steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Kyma Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward A. Preble, Denis Tsvetkov, Andrew D. Hanser, N. Mark Williams, Xueping Xu
  • Patent number: 7776741
    Abstract: A semiconductor electroplating process deposits copper into the through silicon via hole to completely fill the through silicon via in a substantially void free is disclosed. The through silicon via may be more than about 3 micrometers in diameter and more that about 20 micrometers deep. High copper concentration and low acidity electroplating solution is used for deposition copper into the through silicon vias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Reid, Katie Qun Wang, Mark J. Willey
  • Patent number: 7772055
    Abstract: The present invention recites a new method for manufacturing Group III-N field-effect devices, such as HEMT, MOSHFET, MISHFET devices or MESFET devices, grown by Metal-Organic Vapor Phase Expitaxy, with higher performance (power), by covering the surface with a thin SiN layer on the top AlGaN layer, in the reactor where the growth takes place at high temperature, prior cooling down the structure and loading the sample out of the reactor, as well as a method to produce some HEMT transistors on those heterostructures, by depositing the contact on the surface without any removal of the SiN layer by MOCVD. The present invention recites also a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Marianne Germain, Joff Derluyn, Maarten Leys
  • Patent number: 7767585
    Abstract: A method of cleaning for removing metal compounds attached to a surface of a substrate, wherein the cleaning is conducted by supplying a supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide comprising at least one of triallylamine and tris(3-aminopropyl)amine to the surface of the substrate and a process for producing a semiconductor device using the method of cleaning are provided. In accordance with the method of cleaning and the method for producing a semiconductor device using the method, etching residues or polishing residues containing metal compounds are efficiently removed selectively from the electroconductive material forming the electroconductive layer. When the electroconductive layer is a wiring, an increase in resistance due to residual metal compounds can be suppressed, and an increase in the leak current due to diffusion of the metal from the metal compounds to the insulating film can be prevented. Therefore, reliability on the wiring is improved, and the yield of the semiconductor device can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Koichiro Saga, Kenji Yamada, Tomoyuki Azuma, Yuji Murata
  • Patent number: 7763483
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an array substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes forming a gate line, a gate pad and a gate electrode on a substrate through a first mask process, forming a data line, a data pad, a source electrode, a drain electrode and an active layer on the substrate including the gate line, the gate pad and the gate electrode through a second mask process, wherein the data line crosses the gate line to define a pixel region, the source electrode is extended from the data line, the drain electrode is spaced apart from the source electrode, and the active layer is disposed between the gate electrode and the source and drain electrodes, forming a passivation layer on an entire surface of the substrate including the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode through a third mask process, the passivation layer being etched to expose the substrate in the pixel region, a part of the drain electrode, the gate pad and the data pad, and forming a pixel electrode, a gate pad ter
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youn-Gyoung Chang, Heung-Lyul Cho, Soon-Sung Yoo
  • Patent number: 7759136
    Abstract: A method for patterning a substrate includes forming a material layer on the substrate; performing a first etching on the material layer to form a pattern; measuring the pattern of the material layer using an optical spectrum metrology tool; determining whether the measuring indicates that the etching step achieved a predefined result; and producing an etching recipe and performing a second etching of the material layer using the etching recipe if the predefined result was not achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-Cheng Hung, Hung Chang Hsieh, Shih-Ming Chang, Wen-Chuan Wang, Chi-Lun Lu, Allen Hsia, Yen-Bin Huang
  • Patent number: 7759213
    Abstract: Trenches are formed in a silicon substrate by etching exposed portions of the silicon substrate. After covering areas on which deposition of Si:C containing material is to be prevented, selective epitaxy is performed in a single wafer chamber at a temperature from about 550° C. to about 600° C. employing a limited carrier gas flow, i.e., at a flow rate less than 12 standard liters per minute to deposit Si:C containing regions at a pattern-independent uniform deposition rate. The inventive selective epitaxy process for Si:C deposition provides a relatively high net deposition rate a high quality Si:C crystal in which the carbon atoms are incorporated into substitutional sites as verified by X-ray diffraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Abhishek Dube, Ashima B. Chakravarti, Dominic J. Schepis
  • Patent number: 7754550
    Abstract: The gate oxide in the trenches of a trench type Schottky device are formed by oxidizing a layer of polysilicon deposited in trenches of a silicon or silicon carbide substrate. A small amount of the substrate is also oxidized to create a good interface between the substrate and the oxide layer which is formed. The corners of the trench are rounded by the initial formation and removal of a sacrificial oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Davide Chiola, Zhi He
  • Patent number: 7754518
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermally processing a substrate is provided. A substrate is disposed within a processing chamber configured for thermal processing by directing electromagnetic energy toward a surface of the substrate. An energy blocker is provided to block at least a portion of the energy directed toward the substrate. The blocker prevents damage to the substrate from thermal stresses as the incident energy approaches an edge of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Blake Koelmel, Robert C. McIntosh, David D L Larmagnac, Alexander N. Lerner, Abhilash J. Mayur, Joseph Yudovsky
  • Patent number: 7749784
    Abstract: A fabricating method of Single Electron Transistor includes processing steps as follows: first, deposit the sealing material of gas molecule or atom state on the top-opening of the nano cylindrical pore, which having formed on the substrate, so that the diameter of said top-opening gradually reduce to become a reduced nano-aperture, whose opening diameter is smaller than that of said top-opening; then, keep the substrate in horizontal direction and tilt or rotate said substrate into tilt angle or rotation angle in coordination with tilt angle with the reduced nano-aperture as center respectively, and pass the deposit material of gas molecular or atom state through the reduced nano-aperture respectively. Thereby a Single Electron Transistor including island electrode, drain electrode, source electrode and gate electrode of nano-quantum dot with nano-scale is directly fabricated on the surface of said substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Inventor: Ming-Nung Lin
  • Patent number: 7749870
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing an SOI substrate comprising a transparent insulating substrate and a silicon film formed on a first major surface of the insulating substrate wherein a second major surface of the insulating substrate which is opposite to the major surface is roughened, the method suppressing the generation of metal impurities and particles in a simple and easy way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kawai, Yoshihiro Kubota, Atsuo Ito, Kouichi Tanaka, Yuji Tobisaka, Shoji Akiyama, Hiroshi Tamura
  • Patent number: 7745863
    Abstract: A method of forming an integrated ferroelectric/CMOS structure which effectively separates incompatible high temperature deposition and annealing processes is provided. The method of the present invention includes separately forming a CMOS structure and a ferroelectric delivery wafer. These separate structures are then brought into contact with each and the ferroelectric film of the delivery wafer is bonded to the upper conductive electrode layer of the CMOS structure by using a low temperature anneal step. A portion of the delivery wafer is then removed providing an integrated FE/CMOS structure wherein the ferroelectric capacitor is formed on top of the CMOS structure. The capacitor is in contact with the transistor of the CMOS structure through all the wiring levels of the CMOS structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James W. Adkisson, Charles Thomas Black, Alfred Grill, Randy William Mann, Deborah Ann Neumayer, Wilbur David Pricer, Katherine Lynn Saenger, Thomas McCarroll Shaw
  • Patent number: 7741717
    Abstract: A metal line of a semiconductor device comprising contact plugs, a plurality of first trenches, first metal lines, a plurality of second trenches, and second metal lines. The contact plugs are formed over a semiconductor substrate and are insulated from each other by a first insulating layer. The plurality of first trenches are formed in the first insulating layer and are connected to first contact plugs of the contact plugs. The first metal lines are formed within the first trenches and are connected to the first contact plugs. The plurality of second trenches are formed over the first metal lines and the first insulating layer and comprise a second insulating layer connected to second contact plugs of the contact plugs. The second metal lines are formed within the second trenches and are connected to the second contact plugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Young Ok Hong, Dong Hwan Lee
  • Patent number: 7741172
    Abstract: A positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN)/negative-intrinsic-positive (NIP) diode includes a semiconductor substrate having first and second main surfaces opposite to each other. The semiconductor substrate is of a first conductivity. The PIN/NIP diode includes at least one trench formed in the first main surface which defines at least one mesa. The trench extends to a first depth position in the semiconductor substrate. The PIN/NIP diode includes a first anode/cathode layer proximate the first main surface and the sidewalls and the bottom of the trench. The first anode/cathode layer is of a second conductivity opposite to the first conductivity. The PIN/NIP diode includes a second anode/cathode layer proximate the second main surface, a first passivation material lining the trench and a second passivation material lining the mesa. The second anode/cathode layer is the first conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Icemos Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Robin Wilson, Conor Brogan, Hugh J. Griffin, Cormac MacNamara
  • Patent number: 7737039
    Abstract: Methods are disclosed, such as those involving increasing the density of isolated features in an integrated circuit. Also disclosed are structures associated with the methods. In one or more embodiments, contacts are formed on pitch with other structures, such as conductive interconnects. The interconnects may be formed by pitch multiplication. To form the contacts, in some embodiments, a pattern corresponding to some of the contacts is formed in a selectively definable material such as photoresist. The features in the selectively definable material are trimmed to desired dimensions. Spacer material is blanket deposited over the features in the selectively definable material and the deposited material is then etched to leave spacers on sides of the features. The selectively definable material is removed to leave a mask defined by the spacer material. The pattern defined by the spacer material may be transferred to a substrate, to form on pitch contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurtej Sandhu, Mark Kiehlbauch, Steve Kramer, John Smythe
  • Patent number: 7737035
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for sealing and unsealing a chemical deposition apparatus in a chemical deposition process chamber includes a microvolume that has dual sealing elements at its periphery. One seal, the outer seal, is used to seal the inside of the microvolume from the main process chamber. The second (inner) seal is used to seal the inside of the microvolume from a vacuum source. The apparatus and process of the present invention has several advantages for enhanced chamber performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Lind, Colin F. Smith, William Johanson, Thomas M. Pratt, John Mazzocco
  • Patent number: 7732305
    Abstract: In a first aspect, a method of forming an epitaxial film on a substrate is provided. The method includes (a) providing a substrate; (b) exposing the substrate to a silicon source and a carbon source so as to form a carbon-containing silicon epitaxial film; (c) encapsulating the carbon-containing silicon epitaxial film with an encapsulating film; and (d) exposing the substrate to Cl2 so as to etch the encapsulating film. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiyuan Ye, Yihwan Kim, Xiaowei Li, Ali Zojaji, Nicholas C. Dalida, Jinsong Tang, Xiao Chen, Arkadii V. Samoilov