Patents Examined by Mohammad M Choudhry
  • Patent number: 11961780
    Abstract: A semiconductor module includes a semiconductor device that includes first and second fin bases having first and second connecting portions and a resin for sealing the outer peripheral side surfaces of first to fourth conductors, and a flow path forming body connected to the first and second connecting portions of the first and second fin bases. A first elastically deformed portion, which is elastically deformed, is provided such that a distance in a thickness direction between the outer peripheral ends of the first and second connecting portions becomes smaller than a distance in a thickness direction between intermediate portions of the first and second connecting portions. The resin is filled between the first and second connecting portions of the first and second fin bases are filled with the resin therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobutake Tsuyuno, Akira Matsushita, Yujiro Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11961721
    Abstract: An apparatus for in-situ etching monitoring in a plasma processing chamber includes a continuous wave broadband light source, an illumination system configured to illuminate an area on a substrate with an incident light beam being directed from the continuous wave broadband light source at normal incidence to the substrate, a collection system configured to collect a reflected light beam being reflected from the illuminated area on the substrate, and to direct the reflected light beam to a first light detector, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a property of the substrate or structures formed thereupon based on a reference light beam and the reflected light beam, and control an etch process based on the determined property. The reference light beam is generated by the illumination system by splitting a portion of the incident light beam and directed to a second light detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ching Ling Meng, Holger Tuitje, Qiang Zhao, Hanyou Chu, Xinkang Tian
  • Patent number: 11955565
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a substrate; a control gate disposed on the substrate; a source diffusion region disposed in the substrate and on a first side of the control gate; a select gate disposed on the source diffusion region, wherein the select gate has a recessed top surface; a charge storage structure disposed under the control gate; a first spacer disposed between the select gate and the control gate and between the charge storage structure and the select gate; a wordline gate disposed on a second side of the control gate opposite to the select gate; a second spacer between the wordline gate and the control gate; and a drain diffusion region disposed in the substrate and adjacent to the wordline gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Chun-Sung Huang, Chi Ren
  • Patent number: 11956966
    Abstract: A silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory cell includes a memory gate, a dielectric layer, two charge trapping layers and two selective gates. The memory gate is disposed on a substrate. The two charge trapping layers are at two ends of the dielectric layer, and the charge trapping layers and the dielectric layer are sandwiched by the substrate and the memory gate. The two selective gates are disposed at two opposite sides of the memory gate, thereby constituting a two bit memory cell. The present invention also provides a method of forming said silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Chia-Ching Hsu
  • Patent number: 11956963
    Abstract: A 3-dimensional flash memory device and methods of fabricating and driving the same are provided. The device includes: a channel layer extending over a substrate in a first direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate; an information storing layer extending along a sidewall of the channel layer in the first direction; control gates each surrounding the channel layer, with the information storing layer between the channel layer and the control gates; an insulating layer being between the control gates in the first direction and separating the control gates from each other; a fixed charge region disposed at an interface of the insulating layer and the information storing layer or in a portion of the information storing layer between the control gates in the first direction; and a doped region induced by the fixed charge region and disposed at a surface of the channel layer facing the fixed charge region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignees: SK hynix Inc., SOGANG UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventor: Woo Young Choi
  • Patent number: 11942382
    Abstract: When a voltage is applied to a semiconductor element formed into a semiconductor substrate for evaluating the electrical characteristic of the semiconductor element, partial discharge between the semiconductor element and an inter-element portion, adhesion of a foreign substance to the semiconductor substrate, and formation of a trace of a component in the semiconductor substrate are prevented. A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a discharge inhibitor. The semiconductor substrate includes a plurality of semiconductor elements and an inter-element portion. The semiconductor elements are arranged in a spreading direction of the semiconductor substrate. The inter-element portion is between adjacent semiconductor elements among the semiconductor elements. The discharge inhibitor is bonded not to a surface of a center of each semiconductor element among the semiconductor elements but to a surface of the inter-element portion. The discharge inhibitor is made of an insulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Noritsugu Nomura
  • Patent number: 11935788
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes the following steps. A singulation process is performed to a semiconductor wafer for forming semiconductor dies and includes a first cutting step, a thinning step, and a second cutting step. The first cutting step is configured to form first openings in the semiconductor wafer by etching. A portion of the semiconductor wafer is located between each first opening and a back surface and removed by the thinning step. Each first opening penetrates through the semiconductor wafer after the thinning step. The second cutting step is configured to form second openings. Each second opening penetrates through the semiconductor wafer for separating the semiconductor dies. A semiconductor die includes two first side surfaces opposite to each other and two second side surfaces opposite to each other. A roughness of each first side surface is different from a roughness of each second side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Po-Yu Yang
  • Patent number: 11935960
    Abstract: Some embodiments include integrated memory. The integrated memory includes a first series of first conductive structures and a second series of conductive structures. The first conductive structures extend along a first direction. The second conductive structures extend along a second direction which crosses the first direction. Pillars of semiconductor material extend upwardly from the first conductive structures. Each of the pillars includes a lower source/drain region, an upper source/drain region, and a channel region between the lower and upper source/drain regions. The lower source/drain regions are coupled with the first conductive structures. Insulative material is adjacent sidewall surfaces of the pillars. The insulative material includes ZrOx, where x is a number greater than 0. The second conductive structures include gating regions which are spaced from the channel regions by at least the insulative material. Storage elements are coupled with the upper source/drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Srinivas Pulugurtha, Litao Yang, Haitao Liu, Kamal M. Karda
  • Patent number: 11930637
    Abstract: Described is selective deposition of a silicon nitride (SiN) trap layer to form a memory device. A sacrificial layer is used for selective deposition in order to permit selective trap deposition. The trap layer is formed by deposition of a mold including a sacrificial layer, memory hole (MH) patterning, sacrificial layer recess from MH side, forming a deposition-enabling layer (DEL) on a side of the recess, and selective deposition of trap layer. After removing the sacrificial layer from a slit pattern opening, the deposition-enabling layer (DEL) is converted into an oxide to be used as blocking oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chang Seok Kang, Tomohiko Kitajima, Mihaela A. Balseanu
  • Patent number: 11917821
    Abstract: In the highly efficient fabrication processes for HNOR arrays provided herein, the channel regions of the storage transistors in the HNOR arrays are protected by a protective layer after deposition until the subsequent deposition of a charge-trapping material before forming local word lines. Both the silicon for the channel regions and the protective material may be deposited in amorphous form and are subsequently crystallized in an anneal step. The protective material may be silicon boron, silicon carbon or silicon germanium. The protective material induces greater grain boundaries in the crystallized silicon in the channel regions, thereby providing greater charge carrier mobility, greater conductivity and greater current densities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SUNRISE MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vinod Purayath, Wu-Yi Henry Chien
  • Patent number: 11901233
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor element includes a first irradiation step in which a laser beam is irradiated to form, in the interior of the substrate, a plurality of first modified portions aligned along a first direction; a second irradiation step in which a laser beam is irradiated to form a plurality of second modified portions aligned along the first direction at a position adjacent to the plurality of first modified portions in the second direction; and a third irradiation step which a laser beam is irradiated to form a plurality of third modified portions aligned along the first direction at a position closer to the first surface than the first modified portions and overlapping the plurality of first modified portions in a thickness direction of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki Yamaguchi, Yoshitaka Sumitomo
  • Patent number: 11888071
    Abstract: To reduce defects in an oxide semiconductor film in a semiconductor device. To improve electrical characteristics of and reliability in the semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor film. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of forming a gate electrode and a gate insulating film over a substrate, forming an oxide semiconductor film over the gate insulating film, forming a pair of electrodes over the oxide semiconductor film, forming a first oxide insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film and the pair of electrodes by a plasma CVD method in which a film formation temperature is 280° C. or higher and 400° C. or lower, forming a second oxide insulating film over the first oxide insulating film, and performing heat treatment at a temperature of 150° C. to 400° C. inclusive, preferably 300° C. to 400° C. inclusive, further preferably 320° C. to 370° C. inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Koezuka, Yukinori Shima, Suzunosuke Hiraishi, Kenichi Okazaki
  • Patent number: 11877456
    Abstract: A memory cell of a non-volatile memory includes a memory element. The memory element is a transistor. The memory element includes an asymmetric spacer. In the memory element, a channel under the wider part of the spacer is longer. When the program operation of the memory element is performed, more carriers are injected into a charge-trapping layer of the spacer through the longer channel. Consequently, the program operation of the memory element is performed more efficiently, and the time period of performing the program operation is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: EMEMORY TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Ying-Je Chen, Wein-Town Sun, Chun-Hsiao Li, Hsueh-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 11876022
    Abstract: A substrate treatment method includes: generating, for each of layers constituting a stacked film on a substrate, a captured image of the substrate after a treatment regarding a relevant layer; and acquiring information indicating a feature amount estimated based on the captured image for each of a plurality of layers including an outermost layer of the stacked film on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masashi Enomoto, Hiroshi Nakamura, Toyohisa Tsuruda
  • Patent number: 11871577
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor storage device includes a substrate; a stacked body provided above the substrate, wherein the stacked body includes a plurality of first insulating layers and a plurality of conductive layers that are alternately stacked on top of one another along a vertical direction; a plurality of columnar portions that penetrate the stacked body; a first slit, provided in the vertical direction, that divides one or more of the plurality of conductive layers at least at an upper portion of the stacked body; and a second insulating layer that overlays an opening of the first slit, which forms a cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Kashima, Hiroyasu Sato
  • Patent number: 11869769
    Abstract: A method of semiconductor fabrication includes positioning a substrate on a susceptor in a chamber and growing an epitaxial feature on the substrate. The growing includes providing UV radiation to a first region of a surface of the substrate and while providing the UV radiation, growing a first portion of the epitaxial feature on the first region of the surface while concurrently growing a second portion of the epitaxial feature on a second region of the surface of the substrate. The first portion of the epitaxial feature can be greater in thickness than the second portion of the epitaxial feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Winnie Victoria Wei-Ning Chen, Andrew Joseph Kelly
  • Patent number: 11862696
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device relating to one embodiment includes: a stacked body in which electrode films and insulating films are alternately stacked in a first direction; a first and a second charge storage films that are arranged away from each other in the first direction inside the stacked body and each face one of the electrode films; and a tunnel insulating film that extends in the first direction inside the stacked body and is in contact with the first and the second charge storage films. The first and the second charge storage films each include a first film that is in contact with the electrode film and contains a High-k material, and a second film that is provided between the first film and the tunnel insulating film and contains silicon nitride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Okada, Tomonori Aoyama, Tatsunori Isogai, Masaki Noguchi
  • Patent number: 11862595
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a packaging method for a fan-out wafer-level packaging structure, including: providing two or more semiconductor chips, and bonding the semiconductor chips to a bonding layer; packaging the semiconductor chips by a plastic packaging layer; removing the bonding layer, and forming a redistribution layer on the semiconductor chips, so as to achieve interconnection between the semiconductor chips, where the redistribution layer includes one or more redistribution sublayers stacked in sequence, and a method for forming each redistribution sublayer includes: forming a dielectric layer on the semiconductor chips; forming vias in the dielectric layer by photolithography; baking the dielectric layer having the vias formed therein, wherein the warpage of the dielectric layer around the vias is mitigated; curing the dielectric layer; and forming on the dielectric layer a patterned metal distribution layer corresponding to the vias; and forming metal bumps on the redistribution layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SJ SEMICONDUCTOR(JIANGYIN) CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hailin Zhao
  • Patent number: 11862606
    Abstract: A package includes a corner, a device die, a plurality of redistribution lines underlying the device die, and a plurality of metal pads electrically coupled to the plurality of redistribution lines. The plurality of metal pads includes a corner metal pad closest to the corner, wherein the corner metal pad is a center-facing pad having a bird-beak direction substantially pointing to a center of the package. The plurality of metal pads further includes a metal pad farther away from the corner than the corner metal pad, wherein the metal pad is a non-center-facing pad having a bird-beak direction pointing away from the center of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Hua Yu, Shin-Puu Jeng, Der-Chyang Yeh, Hsien-Wei Chen, Jie Chen
  • Patent number: 11854939
    Abstract: Disclosed is a three-dimensional integrated system for DRAM chips and a fabrication method thereof. A plurality of trench structures are etched on the front and back of a silicon wafer; then, a TSV structure is etched between the two upper and lower trenches opposite to each other for electrical connection; then, DRAM chips are placed in the trenches, and copper-copper bonding is used to make the chips electrically connected to the TSV structure in a vertical direction; finally, redistribution is done to make the chips in a horizontal direction electrically connected. The invention can make full use of silicon materials, and can avoid problems such as warpage and deformation of an interposer. In addition, placing the chips in the trenches will not increase the overall package thickness, while protecting the chips from external impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignees: Fudan University, Shanghai Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Innovation Center Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bao Zhu, Lin Chen, Qingqing Sun, Wei Zhang