Patents Examined by Savitr Mulpuri
  • Patent number: 9634020
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device with memory cells and logic devices on the same silicon-on-insulator substrate. The method includes providing a substrate that includes silicon, a first insulation layer directly over the silicon, and a silicon layer directly over the first insulation layer. Silicon is epitaxially grown on the silicon layer in a first (memory) area of the substrate and not in a second (logic device) area of the substrate such that the silicon layer is thicker in the first area of the substrate relative to the second area of the substrate. Memory cells are formed in the first area of the substrate, and logic devices are formed in the second area of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Silicon Storage Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chien Sheng Su, Mandana Tadayoni, Nhan Do
  • Patent number: 9627347
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises: a bump forming step of forming a bump electrode 100 on a semiconductor chip 1, the bump electrode 100 protruding in a substantially conical shape; a pad forming step of forming a pad electrode 200 on a substrate 10, the pad electrode 200 having a recess 210 with inner lateral surfaces thereof defining a substantially pyramidal shape or a prism shape; a pressing step of pressing the bump electrode 100 and the pad electrode 200 in a direction which brings them closer to each other, with the bump electrode 100 being inserted in the recess 210 so that the central axis of the bump electrode 100 and the central axis of the recess 210 coincide with each other; and an ultrasonic joining step of joining the bump electrode 100 and the pad electrode 200 by vibrating at least one of the bump electrode 100 and the pad electrode 200 using ultrasonic waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Masahiro Aoyagi, Thanh Tung Bui, Motohiro Suzuki, Naoya Watanabe, Fumiki Kato, Lai Na Ma, Shunsuke Nemoto
  • Patent number: 9589962
    Abstract: A method of forming conductive vias comprises forming at least three parallel line constructions elevationally over a substrate. The line constructions individually comprise a dielectric top and dielectric sidewalls. A conductive line is formed elevationally over and angles relative to the line constructions. The conductive line comprises a longitudinally continuous portion and a plurality of conductive material extensions that individually extend elevationally inward between immediately adjacent of the line constructions. Etching is conducted elevationally through the longitudinally continuous portion and partially elevationally into the extensions at spaced locations along the conductive line to break-up the longitudinally continuous portion to form individual conductive vias extending elevationally between immediately adjacent of the line constructions. Methods of forming a memory array are also disclosed. Arrays of conductive vias independent of method of manufacture are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Wolfgang Mueller, Brent Gilgen, Dylan R. Macmaster, Jim A. Jozwiak
  • Patent number: 9577074
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a FinFET device is provided, comprising: a. providing a substrate (100); b. forming a fin (200) on the substrate; c. forming an shallow trench isolation structure (300) on the substrate; d. forming an sacrificial gate stack on the isolation structure, wherein the sacrificial gate stack intersects the fin; e. forming source/drain doping regions by ion implantation into the fin; f. depositing an interlayer dielectric layer (400) on the substrate; g. removing the sacrificial gate stack to form a sacrificial gate vacancy; h. forming an doped region (201) under the sacrificial gate vacancy; i. etching the shallow trench isolation structure (300) under the sacrificial gate vacancy until the top surface of the shallow trench isolation structure (300) levels with the bottom surface of the source/drain doping regions; j. forming a new gate stack in the sacrificial gate vacancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF MICROELECTRONICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Yunfei Liu, Haizhou Yin, Keke Zhang
  • Patent number: 9570406
    Abstract: The present disclosure integrates electromagnetic shielding into a wafer level fan-out packaging process. First, a mold wafer having multiple modules is provided. Each module includes a die with an I/O port and is surrounded by an inter-module area. A redistribution structure that includes a shield connected element coupled to the I/O port of each module is formed over a bottom surface of the mold wafer. The shield connected element extends laterally from the I/O port into the inter-module area for each module. Next, the mold wafer is sub-diced at each inter-module area to create a cavity. A portion of the shield connected element is then exposed through the bottom of each cavity. A shielding structure is formed over a top surface of the mold wafer and exposed faces of each cavity. The shielding structure is in contact with the shield connected element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Thong Dang, Dan Carey, Ma Shirley Asoy
  • Patent number: 9570464
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first metal nitride film on a side surface of a hole extending in a stacking direction in a stacked body. The method includes forming a second metal nitride film on upper and lower surfaces of second layers and a side surface of the first metal nitride film. The method includes forming metal layers in first air gaps inside the second metal nitride film. The method includes removing the second layers and forming second air gaps between the metal layers. The method includes removing the first metal nitride film exposed to the second air gaps and dividing the first metal nitride film in the stacking direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Satoshi Wakatsuki, Atsuko Sakata, Masayuki Kitamura, Daisuke Ikeno, Takeshi Ishizaki, Tomotaka Ariga
  • Patent number: 9564512
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a FinFET structure comprises providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a hard mask layer on the semiconductor substrate; forming a dummy gate structure having a dummy gate, a first sidewall spacer and a second sidewall spacer; removing the dummy gate to form a first trench; forming first sub-fins in the semiconductor substrate under the hard mask layer in the first trench; forming a first metal gate structure in the first trench; removing the first sidewall spacer to form a second trench; forming second sub-fins in the semiconductor substrate under the hard mask layer in the second trench; forming a second metal gate structure in the second trench; removing the second sidewall spacer to form a third trench; forming third sub-fins in the semiconductor substrate under the hard mask layer in the third trench; and forming a third metal gate structure in the third trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haiyang Zhang, Chenglong Zhang
  • Patent number: 9559002
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a circuit device on a substrate and a first insulating interlayer on the substrate and covering the circuit device. An electrode structure extends through the first insulating interlayer and at least partially through the substrate. An etch-stop layer pattern is disposed on a sidewall of the electrode structure on a side of the first insulating layer opposite the substrate. A blocking layer pattern is disposed on the etch-stop layer pattern. The device further includes an interconnection structure including a via portion passing through the blocking layer pattern to contact the through electrode structure and a wiring portion on the via portion and having a different width than the via portion. The semiconductor device may further include a contact plug electrically connected to the circuit device through the first insulating interlayer. The contact plug and the through electrode structure may include different metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung-Taek Lee, Eun-Ji Kim, Sin-Woo Kang, Yeong-Lyeol Park, Sung-Dong Cho
  • Patent number: 9553249
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a thermoelectric component or at least one semi-finished product of same, in which a multiplicity of thermolegs made of a thermoelectrically active material are introduced into an essentially planar substrate made of an electrically and thermally insulating substrate material such that the thermolegs extend through the substrate essentially perpendicular to the substrate plane, and in which the active material is provided in pulverulent form, is pressed to give green bodies and is then sintered within the substrate to give thermolegs. It is based on the object of refining the method of the generic type mentioned in the introduction so as to increase the freedom of choice of the thermally and electrically insulating substrate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Evonik Degussa GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Busse, Sascha Hoch, Magdalena Kern, Mareike Giesseler, Thorsten Schultz, Patrik Stenner, Paw V. Mortensen, Ali Asghar Enkeshafi
  • Patent number: 9551070
    Abstract: Corrosion resistant substrate supports and methods of making corrosion resistant substrate supports are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of making corrosion resistant substrate supports includes exposing the substrate support disposed within a substrate processing chamber to a process gas comprising an aluminum containing precursor; and depositing an aluminum containing layer atop surfaces of the substrate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Mei Chang, Chien-Teh Kao, Juno Yu-Ting Huang
  • Patent number: 9543505
    Abstract: A memory device includes a magnetic tunnel junction comprising a first free layer, a pinned layer, and a tunnel barrier layer disposed between the first free layer and the pinned layer, wherein the first free layer comprises a first free magnetic pattern adjacent to the tunnel barrier layer, and a second free magnetic pattern spaced apart from the tunnel barrier layer with the first free magnetic pattern interposed therebetween, wherein the second free magnetic pattern contacts the first free magnetic pattern, wherein the first and second free magnetic patterns include boron (B), wherein a boron content of the first free magnetic pattern is higher than a boron content of the second free magnetic pattern, and wherein the boron content of the first free magnetic pattern is in a range of about 25 at % to about 50 at %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang Hwan Park, Kwangseok Kim, Keewon Kim, Jae Hoon Kim, Joonmyoung Lee
  • Patent number: 9537004
    Abstract: A system and method for forming semiconductor structures is disclosed. An embodiment comprises forming a high diffusibility layer adjacent to a gate stack and forming a low diffusibility layer adjacent to the high diffusibility layer. After these two layers are formed, an anneal is performed to diffuse dopants from the high diffusibility layer underneath the gate stack to help form a channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chii-Ming Wu, Chien-Chang Su, Hsien-Hsin Lin, Yi-Fang Pai
  • Patent number: 9530870
    Abstract: Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a gate pattern on a semiconductor substrate, injecting amorphization elements into the semiconductor substrate to form an amorphous portion at a side of the gate pattern, removing the amorphous portion to form a recess region, and forming a source/drain pattern in the recess region. When the recess region is formed, an etch rate of the amorphous portion is substantially the same in two different directions (e.g., <111> and any other direction) of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jieon Yoon, Seokhoon Kim, Gyeom Kim, Nam-Kyu Kim, JinBum Kim, Dong Chan Suh, Kwan Heum Lee, Byeongchan Lee, Choeun Lee, Sujin Jung
  • Patent number: 9530666
    Abstract: A plasma etching method includes a first process and a second process. In the first process, a hole is formed in a processing target film formed on a substrate accommodated within a processing chamber by performing an etching process of etching the processing target film. In the second process, a removing process, a deposition process and an extending process are repeatedly performed. In the removing process, a reaction product adhering to an inlet portion of the hole which is formed through the etching process is removed. In the deposition process, a deposit is deposited on a sidewall of the hole from which the reaction product is removed through the removing process. In the extending process, the hole, in which the deposit is deposited on the sidewall thereof through the deposition process, is deeply etched by performing the etching process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hideki Mizuno, Kumiko Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9524935
    Abstract: A methodology enabling filling of high aspect ratio cavities, with no voids or gaps, in an IC device and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments include providing active area and/or gate contacts in a first ILD; forming selective protective caps on upper surfaces of the contacts; forming a second ILD on upper surfaces of the protective caps and on an upper surface of the first ILD; forming a hard-mask stack on the second ILD; forming, in the second ILD and hard-mask stack, cavities exposing one or more protective caps; removing selective layers in the stack to decrease depths of the cavities; and filling the cavities with a metal layer, wherein the metal layer in one or more cavities connects to an upper surface of the one or more exposed protective caps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Lee Rullan, Sunil Kumar Singh
  • Patent number: 9520558
    Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the first conductive material. The methods enable formation of silver containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha
  • Patent number: 9508726
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a device isolation pattern on a substrate to define active patterns, a gate electrode crossing the active patterns, first and second impurity regions in each of the active patterns and on both sides of the gate electrode, a bit line crossing the gate electrode, a first contact electrically connecting the first impurity region to the bit line, and a second contact electrically connected to the second impurity region. The second contact includes a vertically-extended portion covering an upper side surface of the second impurity region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoonho Son, Mongsup Lee
  • Patent number: 9496327
    Abstract: A process of forming an integrated circuit forms a high precision capacitor bottom plate with a metallic surface and performs a plasma treatment of the metallic surface. A high precision capacitor dielectric is formed by depositing a first layer of the capacitor dielectric on the high precision capacitor bottom plate wherein the first layer is silicon nitride, depositing a second layer of the capacitor dielectric on the first layer wherein the second portion is silicon dioxide, and depositing a third layer of the capacitor dielectric on the second portion wherein the third layer is silicon nitride. Plasma treatments may also be performed on the layers of capacitor dielectric pre- and/or post-deposition. A metallic high precision capacitor top plate is formed on the high precision capacitor dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: John Paul Campbell, Kaiping Liu
  • Patent number: 9484207
    Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes providing a wafer having a central portion and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion. The method includes forming a first dielectric layer over the central portion. The first dielectric layer has first contact openings exposing conductive regions of the wafer. The method includes forming a protective layer over the peripheral portion. The method includes after forming the protective layer, performing a metal silicide process to form metal silicide structures over the conductive regions of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeng-Chang Her, Chia-Cheng Lin, Hung-Jui Chang, Yu-Sheng Su, Shu-Huei Suen
  • Patent number: 9484376
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor isolation structure, including providing a substrate with a top surface; forming a patterned mask over the top surface; forming a trench through the patterned mask in the substrate by a directional etch comprising nitrogen-containing substance, wherein an aspect ratio of the trench is formed to be greater than about 18, and a ratio of a width of a narrowest portion and a width of a widest portion of the isolation region is formed to be greater than about 0.7; and filling the trench with insulating materials. The present disclosure also provides an image sensing device, including a radiation sensing region with a first isolation region separating adjacent radiation detecting units and a peripheral region, wherein an aspect ratio of the first isolation region is greater than about 18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Yi Wang, Keng-Ying Liao, Po-Zen Chen, Yi-Hung Chen