Patents Examined by Ron Pompey
  • Patent number: 8252629
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for making a stackable package. The method includes the following steps: (a) providing a first carrier; (b) disposing at least one chip on the first carrier; (c) forming a molding compound so as to encapsulate the chip; (d) removing the first carrier; (e) forming a first redistribution layer and at least one first bump; (f) providing a second carrier; (g) disposing on the second carrier; (h) removing part of the chip and part of the molding compound; (i) forming a second redistribution layer; and (j) removing the second carrier. Therefore, the second redistribution layer enables the stackable package to have more flexibility to be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Kuo-Chung Yee, Meng-Jen Wang
  • Patent number: 8247289
    Abstract: A capacitor having a high quality and a manufacturing method of the same are provided. A capacitor has a lower electrode formed on an oxide film, a dielectric layer formed on the lower electrode, an upper electrode formed so as to face the lower electrode with the dielectric layer between, and an upper electrode formed so as to cover the upper electrode, an opening portion of the upper electrode and an opening portion of the dielectric layer. By forming the upper electrode on the dielectric layer, it is possible to pattern the dielectric layer by using the upper electrode as a mask, and provide a capacitor having a high-quality dielectric layer by preventing impurity diffusion into the dielectric layer. By forming the upper electrode on the dielectric layer, it is possible to prevent the dielectric layer from being exposed to etching liquid, liquid developer, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Ibiden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Yamanishi, Muneo Harada, Takahiro Kitano, Tatsuzo Kawaguchi, Yoshihiro Hirota, Kinji Yamada, Tomotaka Shinoda, Katsuya Okumura, Shuichi Kawano
  • Patent number: 8241946
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a semiconducting device comprising an organic semiconducting material, which method comprises: heating a composition comprising the organic semiconducting material to a temperature at or above the melting point or glass transition temperature of the composition to form a melt; cooling the melt to a temperature below the melting point or glass transition temperature of the composition; and wherein a first substance or object capable of inhibiting and/or preventing dewetting is adjacent the composition before or during heating, or the composition further comprises an agent capable of inhibiting and/or preventing dewetting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Creator Technology B.V.
    Inventors: Sepas Setayesh, Dagobert M. de Leeuw, Natalie Stutzmann-Stingelin
  • Patent number: 8241957
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a negative thermal expanding system device includes coating a wafer with a thermally decomposable polymer, patterning the decomposable polymer into repeating disk patterns, releasing the decomposable polymer from the wafer and forming a sheet of repeating patterned disks, suspending the sheet into a first solution with seeding compounds for electroless decomposition, removing the sheet from the first solution, suspending the sheet into a second solution to electrolessly deposit a first layer material onto the sheet, removing the sheet from the second solution, suspending the sheet into a third solution to deposit a second layer of material having a lower TCE value than the first layer of material, separating the patterned disks from one another, and annealing thermally the patterned disks to decompose the decomposable polymer and creating a cavity in place of the decomposable polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gareth Geoffrey Hougham, S. Jay Chey, James Patrick Doyle, Xiao Hu Liu, Christopher V. Jahnes, Paul Alfred Lauro, Nancy C. LaBianca, Michael J. Rooks
  • Patent number: 8242567
    Abstract: In order that a top surface of a gate electrode does not have sharp portions, ends of the top surface of the gate electrode are rounded before refractory metal is deposited for silicidation. This reduces intensive application of film stresses which are generated in heat treatment, enabling formation of a silicide layer with a uniform, sufficient thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenshi Kanegae, Akihiko Tsuzumitani, Atsushi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8237146
    Abstract: In a first aspect, a method of forming a memory cell is provided that includes (1) forming a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) stack, the MIM stack including (a) a first conductive carbon layer; (b) a low-hydrogen, silicon-containing carbon layer above the first conductive carbon layer; and (c) a second conductive carbon layer above the low-hydrogen, silicon-containing carbon layer; and (2) forming a steering element coupled to the MIM stack. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: SanDisk 3D LLC
    Inventors: Franz Kreupl, Jingyan Zhang, Huiwen Xu
  • Patent number: 8230806
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus has a substrate holder with two holder constituting bodies that each have a plurality of columns and substrate holding sections. One of the holder constituting bodies holds substrates so that their front surfaces face upward, while the other holds the substrates so that their back surfaces face upward. At least one of the holder constituting bodies moves vertically to change the positions of the holder constituting bodies relative to each other. A distance between one of a first pair of vertically-adjacent substrates with respective front surfaces facing each other and the other of the first pair of substrates is set to ensure treatment uniformity and to be larger than a distance between one of a second pair of vertically-adjacent substrates with their respective back surfaces facing each other and the other of the second pair of substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hisashi Inoue, Shunichi Matsumoto, Yasushi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8227785
    Abstract: Chalcogenide containing semiconductor devices may be formed with a gradient film between a chalcogenide film and another film. The gradient film may have its chalcogenide concentration decrease as it extends away from the chalcogenide film, while the concentration of the other film material increases across the thickness of the gradient film moving away from the chalcogenide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Davide Erbetta
  • Patent number: 8227304
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of forming a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure on a bulk semiconductor starting wafer. Parallel semiconductor bodies are formed at the top surface of the wafer. An insulator layer is deposited and recessed. Exposed upper portions of the semiconductor bodies are used as seed material for growing epitaxial layers of semiconductor material laterally over the insulator layer, thereby creating a semiconductor layer. This semiconductor layer can be used to form one or more SOI devices (e.g., a single-fin or multi-fin MUGFET or multiple series-connected single-fin or multi-fin MUGFETs). However, placement of SOI device components in and/or on portions of the semiconductor layer should be predetermined to avoid locations which might impact device performance (e.g., placement of any FET gate on a semiconductor fin formed from the semiconductor layer can be predetermined to avoid interfaces between joined epitaxial semiconductor material sections).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Subramanian S. Iyer, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 8222093
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for fabricating a semiconductor device having barrier regions within regions of insulating material resulting in outgassing paths from the regions of insulating material. A method comprises forming a barrier region within an insulating material proximate the isolated region of semiconductor material and forming a gate structure overlying the isolated region of semiconductor material. The barrier region is adjacent to the isolated region of semiconductor material, resulting in an outgassing path within the insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Globalfoundries, Inc.
    Inventors: Man Fai Ng, Bin Yang
  • Patent number: 8216880
    Abstract: In semiconductor devices having a copper-based metallization system, bond pads for wire bonding may be formed directly on copper surfaces, which may be covered by an appropriately designed protection layer to avoid unpredictable copper corrosion during the wire bond process. A thickness of the protection layer may be selected such that bonding through the layer may be accomplished, while also ensuring a desired high degree of integrity of the copper surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Matthias Lehr, Frank Kuechenmeister
  • Patent number: 8198105
    Abstract: The present invention provides a reticle 100 for use in a lithographic process. The reticle, in one embodiment, includes a patterned layer 110 located over a reticle substrate. The reticle 100 may further include a test pattern 130 located over the reticle substrate, wherein a portion of the test pattern 130 is within a step-distance of a portion of the patterned layer. In this embodiment, a variance in the test pattern is indicative of a variance in the patterned layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Hyesook Hong, Zhiliu Ma, John K. Wright
  • Patent number: 8183106
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a floating gate memory device comprises using self-aligned process for formation of a fourth poly layer over a partial gate structure that does not require an additional photolithographic step. Accordingly, enhanced device reliability can be achieved because a higher GCR can be maintained with lower gate bias levels. In addition, process complexity can be reduced, which can increase throughput and reduce device failures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuan Fu Chen, Yin Jen Chen, Meng Hsuan Weng, Tzung Ting Han, Ming Shang Chen, Chun Pei Wu
  • Patent number: 8178408
    Abstract: Some methods are directed to manufacturing charge trap-type non-volatile memory devices. An isolation layer pattern can be formed that extends in a first direction in a substrate. A recess unit is formed in the substrate by recessing an exposed surface of the substrate adjacent to the isolation layer pattern. A tunnel insulating layer and a charge trap layer are sequentially formed on the substrate. The tunnel insulating layer and the charge trap layer are patterned to form an isolated island-shaped tunnel insulating layer pattern and an isolated island-shaped charge trap layer pattern by etching defined regions of the substrate, the isolation layer pattern, the tunnel insulating layer, and the charge trap layer until a top surface of the charge trap layer that is disposed on a bottom surface of the recess unit is aligned with a top surface of the isolation layer pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hak-Sun Lee, Kyoung-Sub Shin, Jeong-Dong Choe
  • Patent number: 8168481
    Abstract: The method of one embodiment of the present invention includes: a first step of irradiating a bond substrate with ions to form an embrittlement region in the bond substrate; a second step of bonding the bond substrate to a base substrate with an insulating layer therebetween; a third step of splitting the bond substrate at the embrittlement region to form a semiconductor layer over the base substrate with the insulating layer therebetween; and a fourth step of subjecting the bond substrate split at the embrittlement region to a first heat treatment in an argon atmosphere and then a second heat treatment in an atmosphere of a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen to form a reprocessed bond substrate. The reprocessed bond substrate is used again as a bond substrate in the first step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Hanaoka, Hideki Tsuya, Masaharu Nagai
  • Patent number: 8163608
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating a nonvolatile memory device include forming a trench mask pattern on a semiconductor substrate including a first region and a second region. Substrate trenches defining active regions are formed in the semiconductor substrate in the first region and the second region using the trench mask pattern as a mask. Device isolation layer patterns are formed on the semiconductor substrate including the trench mask pattern and substrate trenches. The device isolation patterns fill the substrate trenches in the first region and in the second region. First and second openings are formed exposing top surfaces of the corresponding active regions in the first and second regions by removing the trench mask pattern. The second opening has a greater width than the first opening. A first lower conductive pattern is formed in the first opening and has a bottom portion in a lower region of the first opening and an extended portion extending from the bottom portion to an upper region of the first opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bong-Tae Park, Jeong-Hyuk Choi
  • Patent number: 8163654
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a fine pattern in a semiconductor device includes forming a first photoresist over a substrate where an etch target layer is formed, doping at least one impurity selected from group III elements and group V elements, of the periodic table, into the first photoresist, forming a photoresist pattern over the first photoresist, performing a dry etching process using the photoresist pattern to expose the first photoresist, etching the first photoresist by an oxygen-based dry etching to form a first photoresist pattern where a doped region is oxidized, and etching the etch target layer using the first photoresist pattern as an etch barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Jin-Ki Jung
  • Patent number: 8153524
    Abstract: During the formation of complex metallization systems, a conductive cap layer may be formed on a copper-containing metal region in order to enhance the electromigration behavior without negatively affecting the overall conductivity. At the same time, a thermo chemical treatment may be performed to provide superior surface conditions of the sensitive dielectric material and also to suppress carbon depletion, which may conventionally result in a significant variability of material characteristics of sensitive ULK materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Oliver Aubel, Joerg Hohage, Frank Feustel, Axel Preusse
  • Patent number: 8153502
    Abstract: Methods of filling cavities or trenches. More specifically, methods of filling a cavity or trench in a semiconductor layer are provided. The methods include depositing a first dielectric layer into the trench by employing a conformal deposition process. Next, the first dielectric layer is etched to create a recess in the trench within the first dielectric layer. The recesses are then filled with a second dielectric layer by employing a high density plasma deposition process. The techniques may be particularly useful in filling cavities and trenches having narrow widths and/or high aspect ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Li Li, Ronald Weimer, Richard Stocks, Chris Hill
  • Patent number: 8153473
    Abstract: A module having a discrete passive element and a semiconductor device, and method of forming the same. In one embodiment, the module includes a patterned leadframe, a discrete passive element mounted on an upper surface of the leadframe, and a thermally conductive, electrically insulating material formed on an upper surface of the discrete passive element. The module also includes a semiconductor device bonded to an upper surface of the thermally conductive, electrically insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Empirion, Inc.
    Inventors: Ashraf W. Lotfi, Douglas Dean Lopata, John David Weld, Mathew A. Wilkowski