Patents Examined by Mounir Amer
  • Patent number: 9634152
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes memory blocks each configured to comprise a pair of channels, each channel including a pipe channel formed in a pipe gate of the memory block and a drain-side channel and a source-side channel coupled to the pipe channel; first slits placed between the memory blocks adjacent to other memory blocks; and a second slit placed between the source-side channel and the drain-side channel of each pair of channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Ki Hong Lee, Seung Ho Pyi, Jung Yun Chang
  • Patent number: 9627611
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an integrated circuit includes narrow, vertically-extending pillars that fill openings formed in the integrated circuit. In some embodiments, the openings can contain phase change material to form a phase change memory cell. The openings occupied by the pillars can be defined using crossing lines of sacrificial material, e.g., spacers, that are formed on different vertical levels. The lines of material can be formed by deposition processes that allow the formation of very thin lines. Exposed material at the intersection of the lines is selectively removed to form the openings, which have dimensions determined by the widths of the lines. The openings can be filled, for example, with phase change material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Jun Liu, Kunal Parekh
  • Patent number: 9627516
    Abstract: A bipolar transistor and a method for fabricating a bipolar transistor are disclosed. In one embodiment the bipolar transistor includes a semiconductor body including a collector region and a base region arranged on top of the collector region, the collector region being doped with dopants of a second doping type and the base region being at least partly doped with dopants of a first doping type and an insulating spacers arranged on top of the base region. The semiconductor body further includes a semiconductor layer including an emitter region arranged on the base region and laterally enclosed by the spacers, the emitter region being doped with dopants of the second doping type forming a pn-junction with the base region, wherein the emitter region is fully located above a horizontal plane through a bottom side of the spacers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Josef Boeck, Wolfgang Liebl
  • Patent number: 9620588
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip formed with an SiC-IGBT including an SiC semiconductor layer, a first conductive-type collector region formed such that the collector region is exposed on a second surface of the SiC semiconductor layer, a second conductive-type base region formed such that the base region contacts the collector region, a first conductive-type channel region formed such that the channel region contacts the base region, a second conductive-type emitter region formed such that the emitter region contacts the channel region to define a portion of a first surface of the SiC semiconductor layer, a collector electrode connected to the collector region, and an emitter electrode connected to the emitter region. A MOSFET of the device is connected in parallel to the SiC-IGBT, and includes a second conductive-type source region electrically connected to the emitter electrode and a second conductive-type drain region electrically connected to the collector electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Aketa, Yuki Nakano
  • Patent number: 9614126
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a light emitting element, a p-side and an n-side post electrode. The light emitting element includes a semiconductor body having n-type and p-type semiconductor layers and a peripheral portion, a first edge, and a second edge. The light emitting element further includes an n-side electrode and a p-side electrode disposed on an insulating film having n-side openings and a p-side opening. The n-side electrode includes second n-contact portions electrically connected to the n-type semiconductor layer through the n-side openings. In a plan view, a p-side post electrode and at least one of the second n-contact portions are at the first edge side. An n-side post electrode electrically connected to the second n-contact portions and at least one of the second n-contact portions are at the second edge side. Fewer second n-contact portions are on the first edge side than that on the second edge side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kageyama
  • Patent number: 9608038
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an STT-MRAM device comprising a plurality of memory elements. Each of the memory elements includes an MTJ structure in between a seed layer and a cap layer. The MTJ structure includes a magnetic free layer structure and a magnetic reference layer structure with an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween; and a magnetic fixed layer separated from the magnetic reference layer structure by an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer. The magnetic reference layer structure includes a first magnetic reference layer formed adjacent to the insulating tunnel junction layer and a second magnetic reference layer separated from the first magnetic reference layer by an intermediate magnetic reference layer. The first, second, and intermediate magnetic reference layers have a first invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Avalanche Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zihui Wang, Yuchen Zhou, Huadong Gan, Yiming Huai
  • Patent number: 9608174
    Abstract: [PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED] To provide a method and apparatus for applying a coating material that reacts at ordinary temperatures and increases in viscosity with lapse of time or a coating material that is difficult to handle, such as an unstable slurry in which sedimentation occurs at high rate, to a high-value-added object to be coated. [SOLUTION] Before at least applying coating material to an object to be coated, the coating amount is automatically measured using a highly-accurate measuring device set in an atmosphere that does not substantially affect the measurement to control the coating amount during production. Therefore, high-quality products can be mass-produced with a low production cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Mtek-smart Corporation
    Inventor: Masafumi Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 9607981
    Abstract: Embodiments include methods of forming a semiconductor device having a first conductivity type, an isolation structure (including a sinker region and a buried layer), an active device within area of the substrate contained by the isolation structure, and a diode circuit. The buried layer is positioned below the top substrate surface, and has a second conductivity type. The sinker region extends between the top substrate surface and the buried layer, and has the second conductivity type. The active device includes a source region of the first conductivity type, and the diode circuit is connected between the isolation structure and the source region. The diode circuit may include one or more Schottky diodes and/or PN junction diodes. In further embodiments, the diode circuit may include one or more resistive networks in series and/or parallel with the Schottky and/or PN diode(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Weize Chen, Hubert M. Bode, Richard J. De Souza, Patrice M. Parris
  • Patent number: 9607888
    Abstract: Methods for integration of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of barrier layers and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of Ru liners for Cu filling of narrow recessed features for semiconductor devices are disclosed in several embodiments. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate containing a recessed feature, depositing a conformal barrier layer by ALD in the recessed feature, where the barrier layer contains TaN or TaAlN, depositing a conformal Ru liner by CVD on the barrier layer, and filling the recessed feature with Cu metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kai-Hung Yu, Toshio Hasegawa, Tadahiro Ishizaka, Manabu Oie, Fumitaka Amano, Steven Consiglio, Cory Wajda, Kaoru Maekawa, Gert J. Leusink
  • Patent number: 9601595
    Abstract: A multi-region (81, 83) lateral-diffused-metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) device (40) has a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) support structure (21) on or over which are formed a substantially symmetrical, laterally internal, first LDMOS region (81) and a substantially asymmetric, laterally edge-proximate, second LDMOS region (83). A deep trench isolation (DTI) wall (60) substantially laterally terminates the laterally edge-proximate second LDMOS region (83). Electric field enhancement and lower source-drain breakdown voltages (BVDSS) exhibited by the laterally edge-proximate second LDMOS region (83) associated with the DTI wall (60) are avoided by providing a doped SC buried layer region (86) in the SOI support structure (21) proximate the DTI wall (60), underlying a portion of the laterally edge-proximate second LDMOS region (83) and of opposite conductivity type than a drain region (31) of the laterally edge-proximate second LDMOS region (83).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Hongning Yang, Daniel J. Blomberg, Jiang-Kai Zuo
  • Patent number: 9601447
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip at least includes a row of first electrode pad group, which includes at least one first independent electrode pad and multiple first common electrode pads. The interval between the first independent electrode pad and an electrode pad adjacent thereto is defined as “first pitch”, and the interval between adjacent electrode pads making up the multiple first common electrode pads is defined as “second pitch”. The first pitch is determined to be larger than the second pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Sensho Usami
  • Patent number: 9601201
    Abstract: An irreproducible and re-emergent unique structure or pattern identifier manufacturing and detection method, system, and apparatus are provided. A non-volatile floating gate charge storage device can include a block of floating gate transistors that can include a semiconductor region, a source region, a drain region, a floating gate region, a tunnel oxide region, an oxide-nitrite-oxide region, and a control gate region. A structure altering stress effect is applied to the block of transistors to create a passage region in a random number of floating gate regions of floating gate transistors which changes charge storage or electrical characteristics of random elements of the block of transistors. The passage region alters charges on a floating gate region to escape in a different manner than pre-alteration form causing the floating gate region to lose its charge. An apparatus for recording and detecting such differences in pre and post alteration can also be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Matthew Gadlage, Matthew Kay, James D. Ingalls, Adam Duncan, Austin Roach
  • Patent number: 9595444
    Abstract: A method of forming a NAND flash memory includes anisotropically etching trenches of a gate stack down to an intermediate level in a floating gate polysilicon layer, leaving remaining portions of the floating gate polysilicon over the gate dielectric layer. Subsequently, forming a protective layer along exposed sides of the trenches. Then, electrically separating individual floating gates by a selective process that is directed to the remaining portions of the floating gate polysilicon layer exposed by trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Toshiya Yokota, Atsushi Shimoda, Takuya Sakurai
  • Patent number: 9577183
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a MRAM device, a lower electrode is formed on a substrate. A first magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a second magnetic layer are sequentially formed on the lower electrode layer. An etching mask is formed on the second magnetic layer. An ion beam etching process in which a first ion beam and a second ion beam are simultaneously emitted onto the substrate is performed to form a MTJ structure including a first magnetic layer pattern, a tunnel layer pattern, and a second magnetic layer pattern from the first magnetic layer, the tunnel barrier layer, and the second magnetic layer, respectively, the MTJ structure has no by-products remaining after the ion beam etching process is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyoung-Sun Kim, Woo-Jin Kim, Ken Tokashiki
  • Patent number: 9577076
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a plasma annealing and supplying a threshold voltage control gas onto a portion of a substrate is performed to form a fixed charge region including a fixed charge at a surface of the substrate. A MOS transistor is formed on the substrate including the fixed charge region. By the above processes, the threshold voltage of the MOS transistor may be easily controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Keun-Hwi Cho, Dong-Won Kim, Yoshinao Harada, Myung-Gil Kang, Jae-Young Park
  • Patent number: 9570440
    Abstract: Embodiments of semiconductor devices and driver circuits include a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, an isolation structure (including a sinker region and a buried layer), an active device within area of the substrate contained by the isolation structure, and a diode circuit. The buried layer is positioned below the top substrate surface, and has a second conductivity type. The sinker region extends between the top substrate surface and the buried layer, and has the second conductivity type. The active device includes a body region of the second conductivity type, and the diode circuit is connected between the isolation structure and the body region. The diode circuit may include one or more Schottky diodes and/or PN junction diodes. In further embodiments, the diode circuit may include one or more resistive networks in series and/or parallel with the Schottky and/or PN diode(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Weize Chen, Hubert M. Bode, Richard J. De Souza, Patrice M. Parris
  • Patent number: 9564450
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a memory device includes first and second fin type stacked structures each includes first to i-th memory strings (i is a natural number except 1) that are stacked in a first direction, the first and second fin type stacked structures which extend in a second direction and which are adjacent in a third direction, a first portion connected to one end in the second direction of the first fin type stacked structure, a width in the third direction of the first portion being greater than a width in the third direction of the first fin type stacked structure, and a second portion connected to one end in the second direction of the second fin type stacked structure, a width in the third direction of the second portion being greater than a width in the third direction of the second fin type stacked structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kiwamu Sakuma, Atsuhiro Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9558968
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device package. Implementations may include providing an adhesive tape; contacting at least one electrical contact of at least one die with an adhesive surface of the adhesive tape; mechanically and electrically coupling at least one clip with the at least one die and contacting an electrical contact of the at least one clip with the adhesive surface; one of overmolding and encapsulating the at least one die and a majority of the at least one clip with one of a mold compound and an encapsulating compound, respectively, wherein the at least one electrical contact of the at least one die and the electrical contact of the at least one clip are not one of overmolded and encapsulated, forming the semiconductor device package; removing the semiconductor device package from the adhesive surface; and including no leadframe in the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen St. Germain, Roger M. Arbuthnot, Jay A. Yoder, Dennis Lee Conner
  • Patent number: 9558982
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure generally relate to a support ring that supports a substrate in a process chamber. In one embodiment, the support ring comprises an inner ring, an outer ring connecting to an outer perimeter of the inner ring through a flat portion, an edge lip extending radially inwardly from an inner perimeter of the inner ring to form a supporting ledge, and a substrate support extending upwardly from a top surface of the edge lip. The substrate support may be a continuous ring-shaped body disposed around a circumference of the edge lip. The substrate support supports a substrate about its entire periphery from the back side with minimized contact surface to thermally disconnect the substrate from the edge lip. Particularly, the substrate support provides a substantial line contact with the back surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Heng Pan, Sairaju Tallavarjula, Kevin J. Bautista, Jeffrey Tobin
  • Patent number: 9552981
    Abstract: A metal oxide film forming method includes: repeating a cycle a first predetermined number of times, the cycle including supplying a gas containing an organic metal precursor into a processing chamber where an object to be processed is accommodated, and supplying oxygen gas into the processing chamber after the gas containing the organic metal precursor is supplied into the processing chamber; and supplying ozone gas into the processing chamber, wherein repeating the cycle and supplying the ozone gas are repeated a second predetermined number of times, so that a metal oxide film is formed on a surface of the object to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuo Yabe, Jun Ogawa