Patents Examined by Robert Bachner
  • Patent number: 9373541
    Abstract: A method includes forming a barrier layer in a via hole and over a hard mask layer. The hard mask layer is disposed over a dielectric layer. The via hole is located through the dielectric layer and the hard mask layer. A filler layer is formed in the via hole and over the barrier layer. The filler layer and the hard mask layer are removed. A metal layer is formed in the via hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeng-Shiou Chen, Chia-Chun Kao, Ming-Hsi Yeh
  • Patent number: 9368177
    Abstract: Provided are a magnetic resistance structure, a method of manufacturing the magnetic resistance structure, and an electronic device including the magnetic resistance structure. The method of manufacturing the magnetic resistance structure includes forming a hexagonal boron nitride layer, forming a graphene layer on the boron nitride layer, forming a first magnetic material layer between the boron nitride layer and the graphene layer according to an intercalation process; and forming a second magnetic material layer on the graphene layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Sungkyunkwan University Foundation for Corporate Colaboration
    Inventors: Hwansoo Suh, Insu Jeon, Min-woo Kim, Young-jae Song, Min Wang, Qinke Wu, Sung-joo Lee, Sung-kyu Jang, Seong-jun Jung
  • Patent number: 9362406
    Abstract: Among other things, a semiconductor device comprising one or more faceted surfaces and techniques for forming the semiconductor device are provided. A semiconductor device, such as a finFET, comprises a fin formed on a semiconductor substrate. The fin comprises a source region, a channel, and a drain region. A gate is formed around the channel. A top fin portion of the fin is annealed, such as by a hydrogen annealing process, to create one or more faceted surfaces. For example the top fin portion comprises a first faceted surface formed adjacent to a second faceted surface at an angle greater than 90 degrees relative to the second faceted surface, which results in a reduced sharpness of a corner between the first faceted surface and the second faceted surface. In this way, an electrical field near the corner is substantially uniform to electrical fields induced elsewhere within the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Mark van Dal, Georgios Vellianitis
  • Patent number: 9355996
    Abstract: A chip package has multiple chips that may be arranged side-by-side or in a staggered, stair step arrangement. The contacts of the chips are connected to interconnect pads carried on the chips themselves or on a redistribution substrate. The interconnect pads desirably are arranged in a relatively narrow interconnect zone, such that the interconnect pads can be readily wire-bonded or otherwise connected to a package substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Invensas Corporation
    Inventors: Belgacem Haba, Richard Dewitt Crisp, Wael Zohni, Ilyas Mohammed
  • Patent number: 9357641
    Abstract: A molded package includes a molded resin and a lead. The molded resin has a recess portion provided on an upper surface of the molded resin to accommodate a light emitting component. The lead is partially exposed from a bottom surface of the recess portion of the molded resin to be electrically connected to the light emitting component and extends below a side wall of the recess portion. The lead has a groove formed on a surface of the lead at least partially along the side wall. The groove has an inside upper edge and an outside upper edge and is filled with the molded resin so that the inside upper edge is exposed from the bottom surface of the recess portion and the outside upper edge is embedded within the molded resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shimpei Sasaoka, Takuya Nakabayashi
  • Patent number: 9355948
    Abstract: A microelectronic unit includes a semiconductor element consisting essentially of semiconductor material and having a front surface, a rear surface, a plurality of active semiconductor devices adjacent the front surface, a plurality of conductive pads exposed at the front surface, and an opening extending through the semiconductor element. At least one of the conductive pads can at least partially overlie the opening and can be electrically connected with at least one of the active semiconductor devices. The microelectronic unit can also include a first conductive element exposed at the rear surface for connection with an external component, the first conductive element extending through the opening and electrically connected with the at least one conductive pad, and a second conductive element extending through the opening and insulated from the first conductive element. The at least one conductive pad can overlie a peripheral edge of the second conductive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Vage Oganesian, Belgacem Haba, Ilyas Mohammed, Craig Mitchell, Piyush Savalia
  • Patent number: 9349908
    Abstract: Provided are a highly reliable semiconductor light-emitting element having uniform protrusions that are arranged regularly and have the same size and a method of producing the same. The method of producing a semiconductor light-emitting element according to the present invention includes: forming a mask layer having a plurality of openings that are arranged at equal intervals along a crystal axis of a semiconductor structure layer on the surface of the semiconductor structure layer; performing a plasma treatment on the surface of the semiconductor structure layer exposed from the openings in the mask layer; removing the mask layer; and wet-etching the surface of the semiconductor structure layer to form protrusions on the surface of the semiconductor structure layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takanobu Akagi, Tatsuma Saito, Mamoru Miyachi
  • Patent number: 9349847
    Abstract: A semiconductor device of this invention (an IGBT with a built-in diode) includes: an n?-type drift layer 1; a p-type channel region 2 that is arranged in contact with the surface side of this n?-type drift layer 1; a gate electrode 5 that is provided in a trench T provided so as to penetrate this p-type channel region 2 and reach to the n?-type drift layer 1 through a gate insulating film 3; an n-type source region 4 that is provided so as to contact the trench T on the surface side of the p-type channel region 2; a high-concentration n-type region 6 that is arranged in contact with the back side of the n?-type drift layer 1; and a high-concentration p-type region 7 that is arranged in contact with the back side of this high-concentration n-type region 6; in which a junction of the high-concentration n-type region 6 and the high-concentration p-type region 7 is a tunnel junction. According to this semiconductor device, it is possible to form the IGBT and the diode on a single chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Hashimoto, Mutsuhiro Mori
  • Patent number: 9343580
    Abstract: A semiconductor device (100a) with a thin-film transistor (10a) includes: a gate electrode (62) formed on a substrate (60); a gate insulating layer (66) formed on the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor layer (68) formed on the gate insulating layer; source and drain electrodes (70s, 70d) electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer; a protective layer (72) formed on the oxide semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrodes; an oxygen supplying layer (74) formed on the protective layer; an anti-diffusion layer (78) formed on the oxygen supplying layer; and a transparent electrode (81) formed on the anti-diffusion layer and made of an amorphous transparent oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Matsukizono
  • Patent number: 9343552
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are a semiconductor device, a FinFET device, and a method of forming a FinFET device. An embodiment is semiconductor device including a first FinFET over a substrate, wherein the first FinFET includes a first set of semiconductor fins. The semiconductor device further includes a first body contact for the first FinFET over the substrate, wherein the first body contact includes a second set of semiconductor fins, and wherein the first body contact is laterally adjacent the first FinFET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wan-Te Chen, Chung-Hui Chen, Jaw-Juinn Horng, Po-Zeng Kang
  • Patent number: 9341353
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a package and a light emitting element. The package includes a resin portion and at least one lead frame arranged in the resin portion. The at least one lead frame has at least one protrusion which is surrounded by the resin portion and which has an upper surface exposed from the resin portion. The light emitting element is mounted on the upper surface of the at least one protrusion and is electrically connected to the at least one lead frame. At least a half area of the upper surface is covered with the light emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Okada
  • Patent number: 9337154
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate comprising a front surface, side surfaces, a back surface, and a recessed edge between the side surfaces and either the front surface or the back surface, the front surface comprising an active region, the active region comprising at least one contact pad, a polymeric member disposed and contacted with the recessed edge of the substrate, a mold disposed over the front surface of the substrate and the polymeric member, and an interface between the mold and the polymeric member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Chia-Chun Miao, Yen-Ping Wang, Hao-Yi Tsai, Shih-Wei Liang, Tsung-Yuan Yu
  • Patent number: 9337285
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a semiconductor device. An exemplary structure for a contact structure for a semiconductor device comprises a substrate comprising a major surface and a cavity below the major surface; a strained material in the cavity, wherein a lattice constant of the strained material is different from a lattice constant of the substrate; a Ge-containing dielectric layer over the strained material; and a metal layer over the Ge-containing dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Clement Hsingjen Wann, Ling-Yen Yeh, Chi-Yuan Shih, Yen-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 9331153
    Abstract: A structure is provided having: (A) a first silicon layer and a first silicon dioxide layer over the first silicon layer; and (B) a second silicon layer and a second silicon dioxide layer over the second silicon layer; the first silicon dioxide layer bonded to the second silicon dioxide layer. An upper surface of the first silicon layer is polished to reduce its thickness. A III-V layer is grown on the upper surface of the thinned silicon layer. A III-V device is formed in the III-V layer together with a strip conductor connected to the formed. The second silicon layer, the second silicon dioxide layer and the first silicon dioxide layer are successively removed to expose a bottom surface of the first silicon layer. A ground plane conductor is formed on the exposed bottom surface, the strip conductor and the ground plane conductor providing a microstrip transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventor: Jeffrey R. LaRoche
  • Patent number: 9330907
    Abstract: Suspended structures are provided using selective etch technology. Such structures can be protected on all sides when the selective undercut etch is performed, thereby providing excellent control of feature geometry combined with superior material quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Robert Chen, James S. Harris, Jr., Suyog Gupta
  • Patent number: 9330925
    Abstract: A thin-film transistor includes a substrate, a gate electrode over the substrate, an insulating layer over the gate electrode, and a semiconductor layer over the insulating layer. The semiconductor layer includes a channel region, a source region, and a drain region. A source electrode is over the source region, and a drain electrode is over the drain region. The source electrode and the drain electrode each comprise Ni and a metal other than Ni. The channel region, the source region, and the drain region comprise at least one of a polycrystalline silicon that is formed by crystallizing an amorphous silicon layer by thermally diffusing the Ni in the source electrode and the drain electrode into the semiconductor layer and a microcrystalline silicon that is formed by crystallizing an amorphous silicon layer by thermally diffusing the Ni in the source electrode and the drain electrode into the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: JOLED INC.
    Inventors: Tohru Saitoh, Takaaki Ukeda, Kazunori Komori, Sadayoshi Hotta
  • Patent number: 9331081
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure. The method includes forming a first mask on a substrate; defining a first doped region through an opening of the first mask; forming a second mask on the first mask and filling in the opening of the first mask with the second mask; defining a second doped region through an opening of the second mask; and stripping the first mask and the second mask from the substrate. The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure, including a substrate having a top surface; a first doped region having a first surface; and a second doped region having a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are coplanar with the top surface of the substrate. Either of the doped regions has a monotonically decreasing doping profile from the top surface of the substrate to a bottom of the doped region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Chun-Ming Lin, Chiu-Hua Chung, Yu-Shine Lin, Bor-Wen Lai, Tsung-Lin Lee
  • Patent number: 9324808
    Abstract: A semiconductor device, includes a semiconductor layer formed above a substrate; an insulating film formed on the semiconductor layer; and an electrode formed on the insulating film. The insulating film has a membrane stress at a side of the semiconductor layer lower than a membrane stress at a side of the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Norikazu Nakamura, Shirou Ozaki, Masayuki Takeda, Keiji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9324565
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for fabricating thin film tunnel devices includes forming multiple bottom electrodes on a substrate, depositing an insulating layer of material on top of each bottom electrode, and directly depositing a single, continuous top layer of conductive material on the insulating layers that does not contact the bottom electrodes, wherein the bottom electrodes, insulating layers, and continuous top layer together form multiple thin film tunnel devices in which the continuous top layer forms the top electrode for each tunnel device and electrically connects the tunnel devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: University of South Florida
    Inventors: Rudraskandan Ratnadurai, Subramanian Krishnan, Shekhar Bhansali
  • Patent number: 9324944
    Abstract: A selection device, non-volatile memory cell, and method of fabricating the same. The selection device employs an oxide laminate structure including a tunneling oxide layer and a metal-cluster oxide layer between first and second electrodes, enabling a high selection ratio and sufficient on-current density to allow program data recordation in a memory cell at relatively low voltage. The non-volatile memory cell includes the selection device electrically connected to a resistive random access memory device, including a resistance change layer, enabling suppression of current leakage from a non-selected adjacent memory cell in an array structure. In the method of fabrication, a tunneling oxide layer is formed by depositing and oxidizing a metal layer to control oxygen vacancy density in the metal-cluster oxide layer, and an interface oxide layer is formed in the tunneling oxide layer by doping of metal-clusters in the metal-cluster oxide layer, improving on-current density of the selection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: GWANGJU INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Hyunsang Hwang, WooTae Lee