Patents Examined by Pauline Vu
  • Patent number: 9437679
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes an active layer located on a substrate and a first and a second gate structure located on the active layer. A first raised epitaxial region is located on the active layer between the first and the second gate. The first raised epitaxial region has a first facet shaped edge and a first vertical shape edge, such that the first facet shaped edge is located adjacent the first gate structure. A second raised epitaxial region is also located on the active layer between the first and the second gate structure. The second raised epitaxial region has a second facet shaped edge and a second vertical shape edge, such that the second facet shaped edge is located adjacent the second gate structure. A trench region is located between the first and the second vertical shaped edge for electrically isolating the first and the second raised epitaxial region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Bruce B. Doris, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 9397217
    Abstract: The invention relates to a contact structure of a semiconductor device. An exemplary structure for a semiconductor device comprises an insulation region over a substrate; a gate electrode layer over the insulation region comprising a gate middle line; a first contact structure over the insulation region adjacent to the gate electrode layer comprising a first middle line, wherein the first middle line and the gate middle line has a first distance; and a second contact structure over the insulation region on a side of the gate electrode layer opposite to the first contact structure comprising a second middle line, wherein the second middle line and the gate middle line has a second distance greater than the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsiang-Jen Tseng, Ting-Wei Chang, Wei-Yu Chen, Kuo-Nan Yang, Ming-Hsiang Song, Ta-Pen Guo
  • Patent number: 9379271
    Abstract: A method of making and a photodetector comprising a substrate; a p-type or n-type layer; first and second region each having polarizations, a first interface therebetween, the magnitudes and directions of the first and second polarizations being such that a scalar projection of second polarization on the growth direction relative to the scalar projection of the first polarization projected onto the growth direction is sufficient to create a first interface charge; and a third region suitable for forming one of an n-metal or p-metal contact thereon having a third polarization, a second interface between the second and third regions, the third polarization having a scalar projection on the growth direction that, relative to scalar projection of the second polarization onto the growth direction, is sufficient to create a second interface charge; the first and second interface charges creating an electrostatic potential barrier to carriers defining a predetermined wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Paul Shen, Lee Ellen Rodak, Chad Stephen Gallinat, Anand Venktesh Sampath, Michael Wraback
  • Patent number: 9373637
    Abstract: An electrical device is provided that includes a substrate having an upper semiconductor layer, a buried dielectric layer and a base semiconductor layer. At least one isolation region is present in the substrate that defines a semiconductor device region and a resistor device region. The semiconductor device region includes a semiconductor device having a back gate structure that is present in the base semiconductor layer. Electrical contact to the back gate structure is provided by doped epitaxial semiconductor pillars that extend through the buried dielectric layer. An epitaxial semiconductor resistor is present in the resistor device region. Undoped epitaxial semiconductor pillars extending from the epitaxial semiconductor resistor to the base semiconductor layer provide a pathway for heat generated by the epitaxial semiconductor resistor to be dissipated to the base semiconductor layer. The undoped and doped epitaxial semiconductor pillars are composed of the same epitaxial semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 9349878
    Abstract: A memory structure includes a memory cell, and the memory cell includes following elements. A first gate is disposed on a substrate. A stacked structure includes a first dielectric structure, a channel layer, a second dielectric structure and a second gate disposed on the first gate, a first charge storage structure disposed in the first dielectric structure and a second charge storage structure disposed in the second dielectric structure. The first charge storage structure is a singular charge storage unit and the second charge storage structure comprises two charge storage units which are physically separated. A channel output line physically connected to the channel layer. A first dielectric layer is disposed on the first gate at two sides of the stacked structure. A first source or drain and a second source or drain are disposed on the first dielectric layer and located at two sides of the channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: MACRONIX International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng-Hsien Cheng, Wen-Jer Tsai, Shih-Guei Yan, Chih-Chieh Cheng, Jyun-Siang Huang
  • Patent number: 9343325
    Abstract: Improved sidewall image transfer (SIT) techniques are provided. In one aspect, a SIT method includes the following steps. An oxide layer is formed on a substrate. A transfer layer is formed on a side of the oxide layer opposite the substrate. A mandrel layer is formed on a side of the transfer layer opposite the oxide layer. The mandrel layer is patterned to form at least one mandrel. Sidewall spacers are formed on opposite sides of the at least one mandrel. The at least one mandrel is removed, wherein the transfer layer covers and protects the substrate during removal of the at least one mandrel. The transfer layer is etched using the sidewall spacers as a hardmask to form a patterned transfer layer. The oxide layer and the sidewall spacers are removed from the substrate. The substrate is etched using the patterned transfer layer as a hardmask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Effendi Leobandung
  • Patent number: 9337350
    Abstract: A transistor includes an active layer forming a channel for the transistor, an insulating layer disposed facing a lower face of the active layer, a gate turned toward an upper face of the active layer and a source and a drain disposed on both sides of the gate. At least one among the source and the drain extends at least partly through the active layer and into the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Nicolas Posseme, Laurent Grenouillet, Yannick Le Tiec, Maud Vinet
  • Patent number: 9337259
    Abstract: A structure to improve ETSOI MOSFET devices includes a wafer having regions with at least a first semiconductor layer overlying an oxide layer overlying a second semiconductor layer. The regions are separated by a STI which extends at least partially into the second semiconductor layer and is partially filled with a dielectric. A gate structure is formed over the first semiconductor layer and during the wet cleans involved, the STI divot erodes until it is at a level below the oxide layer. Another dielectric layer is deposited over the device and a hole is etched to reach source and drain regions. The hole is not fully landed, extending at least partially into the STI, and an insulating material is deposited in the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Bruce B. Doris, Pranita Kerber, Ali Khakifirooz, Balasubramanian Pranatharthiharan
  • Patent number: 9318580
    Abstract: A method for forming a U-shaped semiconductor device includes growing a U-shaped semiconductor material along sidewalls and bottoms of trenches, which are formed in a crystalline layer. The U-shaped semiconductor material is anchored, and the crystalline layer is removed. Backfilling is formed underneath the U-shaped semiconductor material with a dielectric material for support. A semiconductor device is formed with the U-shaped semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Bruce B. Doris, Pouya Hashemi, Ali Khakifirooz
  • Patent number: 9318597
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a vertical field-effect-transistor (FET) and a bypass diode. The vertical FET device includes a substrate, a drift layer formed over the substrate, a gate contact and a plurality of source contacts located on a first surface of the drift layer opposite the substrate, a drain contact located on a surface of the substrate opposite the drift layer, and a plurality of junction implants, each of the plurality of junction implants laterally separated from one another on the surface of the drift layer opposite the substrate and extending downward toward the substrate. Each of the one or more bypass diodes are formed by placing a Schottky metal contact on the first surface of the drift layer, such that each Schottky metal contact runs between two of the plurality of junction implants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Vipindas Pala, Edward Robert Van Brunt, Lin Cheng, John Williams Palmour
  • Patent number: 9306062
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a body layer disposed in a semiconductor substrate, cell regions arranged around a surface layer part of the body layer, and trenches arranged in a grid pattern for separating the cell regions from each other. A gate insulating film covers inner walls of the first trenches and an inner wall of the second trench, and a gate electrode is filled in the first trenches and the second trench covered by the gate insulating film. A cell circumferential region is disposed to surround an outer side of the second trench. An interlayer insulating film is disposed on the cell regions, the first trenches, and the second trench. A gate contact hole is disposed in the interlayer insulating film at an intersection of the first trenches arranged in the grid pattern. A gate wiring is connected to the gate electrode via the gate contact hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Naoto Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9299809
    Abstract: One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a silicon/germanium fin in a layer of insulating material, wherein the fin has a first germanium concentration, recessing an upper surface of the layer of insulating material so as to expose a portion of the fin, performing an oxidation process so as to oxidize at least a portion of the fin and form a region in the exposed portion of the fin that has a second germanium concentration that is greater than the first germanium concentration, removing the oxide materials from the fin that was formed during the oxidation process and forming a gate structure that is positioned around at least the region having the second germanium concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventor: David P. Brunco
  • Patent number: 9299727
    Abstract: An array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof as well as a display panel are provided. The manufacturing method comprises: forming a pattern including a scanning line (32) and a spacer base (33) on a same layer of a substrate (31); forming a gate insulating layer (34); forming a pattern including an active layer (35), a data line, a source electrode and a drain electrode; forming a passivation layer (36); sequentially etching the passivation layer (36) and the gate insulating layer (34) through a dry etching method to form a via hole (38) exposing the spacer base (33), and inducing materials generated from an etching process in a reaction cavity to deposit on a surface of the spacer base (33) through an electric field formed by the spacer base (33) exposed in the via hole (38) and etching gas adopted in the etching process, to form a spacer (39).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jian Guo
  • Patent number: 9269657
    Abstract: Flexible stack packages are provided. The flexible stack package includes a first unit package and a second unit package which are sequentially stacked. Each of the first and second unit packages has a fixed area and a floating area. The fixed area of the first unit package is connected and fixed to the fixed area of the second unit package by a fixing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jong Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 9269791
    Abstract: A multi-gate MOSFET includes a substrate, a dielectric layer and at least a fin-shaped structure. The substrate has a first area and a second area. The dielectric layer is only located in the substrate of the first area. At least a fin-shaped structure is located on the dielectric layer. Moreover, the present invention also provides a multi-gate MOSFET process forming said multi-gate MOSFET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Ssu-I Fu, En-Chiuan Liou, Chih-Wei Yang, Ying-Tsung Chen, Shih-Hung Tsai
  • Patent number: 9263342
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides devices and methods which provide for strained epitaxial regions. A method of semiconductor fabrication is provided that includes forming a gate structure over a fin of a semiconductor substrate and forming a recess in the fin adjacent the gate structure. A sidewall of the recess is then altered. Exemplary alterations include having an altered profile, treating the sidewall, and forming a layer on the sidewall. An epitaxial region is then grown in the recess. The epitaxial region interfaces the altered sidewall of the recess and is a strained epitaxial region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsung-Lin Lee, Feng Yuan, Hung-Li Chiang, Chih Chieh Yeh
  • Patent number: 9252100
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and method of manufacture are provided. The semiconductor device may include a multiple-patterned layer which may include multiple channels defined by multiple masks. A width of a first channel may be smaller than a width of a second channel. A conductor in the first channel may have a conductor width substantially equivalent to a conductor width of a conductor in the second channel. A spacer dielectric on a channel side may be included. The method of manufacture includes establishing a signal conductor layer including channels defined masks where a first channel may have a first width smaller than a second width of a second channel, introducing a spacer dielectric on a channel side, introducing a first conductor in the first channel having a first conductor width, and introducing a second conductor in the second channel having a second conductor width substantially equivalent to the first conductor width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David H. Allen, Douglas M Dewanz, David P. Paulsen, John E. Sheets, II, Kelly L. Williams
  • Patent number: 9224840
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for fabricating an integrated circuit in a replacement-gate process flow utilizing a dummy-gate structure overlying a plurality of fin structures. The method includes removing the dummy-gate structure to form a first void space, depositing a shaper material to fill the first void space, removing a portion of the plurality of fin structures to form a second void space, epitaxially growing a high carrier mobility material to fill the second void space, removing the shaper material to form a third void space, and depositing a replacement metal gate material to fill the third void space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Stefan Flachowsky, Ralf Illgen, Jan Hoentschel
  • Patent number: 9214397
    Abstract: A method for forming an electrical device that includes forming a high-k gate dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate that is patterned to separate a first portion of the high-k gate dielectric layer that is present on a first conductivity device region from a second portion of the high-k gate dielectric layer that is present on a second conductivity device region. A connecting gate conductor is formed on the first portion and the second portion of the high-k gate dielectric layer. The connecting gate conductor extends from the first conductivity device region over the isolation region to the second conductivity device region. One of the first conductivity device region and the second conductivity device region may then be exposed to an oxygen containing atmosphere. Exposure with the oxygen containing atmosphere modifies a threshold voltage of the semiconductor device that is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Bruce B. Doris, Kangguo Cheng, Steven J. Holmes, Ali Khakifirooz, Pranita Kerber, Shom Ponoth, Raghavasimhan Sreenivasan, Stefan Schmitz
  • Patent number: 9214400
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device comprises: an SOI wafer comprising a semiconductor substrate, an insulating buried layer, and a semiconductor layer, wherein the insulating buried layer is disposed on the semiconductor substrate, and the semiconductor layer is disposed on the insulating buried layer; adjacent MOSFETs formed in the SOI wafer, wherein each of the adjacent MOSFETs comprises a back gate formed in the semiconductor substrate and a back gate isolation region formed completely under the back gate; and a shallow trench isolation, wherein the shallow trench isolation is formed between the adjacent MOSFETs to isolate the adjacent MOSFETs from each other, wherein a PN junction is formed between the back gate and the back gate isolation region of each of the adjacent MOSFETs. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a PN junction is formed between the back gate isolation regions of the adjacent MOSFETs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF MICROELECTRONICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Huilong Zhu, Qingqing Liang, Zhijiong Luo, Haizhou Yin