Patents Examined by Steven Rao
  • Patent number: 8759895
    Abstract: Methods of forming multi-tiered semiconductor devices are described, along with apparatus and systems that include them. In one such method, an opening is formed in a tier of semiconductor material and a tier of dielectric. A portion of the tier of semiconductor material exposed by the opening is processed so that the portion is doped differently than the remaining semiconductor material in the tier. At least substantially all of the remaining semiconductor material of the tier is removed, leaving the differently doped portion of the tier of semiconductor material as a charge storage structure. A tunneling dielectric is formed on a first surface of the charge storage structure and an intergate dielectric is formed on a second surface of the charge storage structure. Additional embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, John K. Zahurak
  • Patent number: 8754507
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for forming a three-dimensional wafer stack having a single metallized stack via with a variable cross-sectional shape. The method uses at least first and silicon wafers. Each wafer has one or more integrated circuits formed thereon. One or more through-vias are formed in each silicon wafer followed by oxide formation on at least an upper and lower surface of the silicon wafer. The wafers are aligned such that each wafer through via is aligned with a corresponding through via in adjacent stacked wafers. Wafers are bonded to form a three-dimensional wafer stack having one or more stack vias formed from the alignment of individual wafer vias. Via metallization is performed by depositing a seed layer in each of the stack vias followed by copper electroplating to form a continuous and homogeneous metallization path through the three-dimensional wafer stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Bin Xie, Pui Chung Simon Law, Yat Kit Tsui
  • Patent number: 8754472
    Abstract: A transistor and a method of fabricating a transistor, including a metal oxide deposited on an epitaxial layer, a photo resist deposited and patterned over the metal oxide and the metal oxide and epitaxial layer are etched to form at least one circular trench, wherein the trench surfaces are defined by the epitaxial layer. An oxide layer is grown on the trench surfaces of each trench, and a gate conductor is formed within the at least one trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: O2Micro, Inc.
    Inventors: Hamilton Lu, Laszlo Lipcsei
  • Patent number: 8747992
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a semiconductor device comprises at least three active areas. The at least three active areas are proximate. Longitudinal axes of the at least three active areas are parallel, and each of the at least three active areas comprises an edge intersecting the longitudinal axis of the respective active area. The edges of the at least three active areas form an arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsung-Lin Lee, Shao-Ming Yu
  • Patent number: 8749011
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a die arrangement is disclosed in which a wire-bond pad may be operatively coupled to a power supply via a wire bond. A first pad may be operatively coupled to the wire-bond pad. A second pad may be operatively coupled to the first pad via a redistribution layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Kaufmann, Morteza Cyrus Afghahi
  • Patent number: 8748884
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device includes a substrate and a first insulating layer on the substrate. The first insulating layer includes a first opening therein. A lower electrode is provided in the first opening and protrudes from a surface of the first insulating layer outside the first opening. An electrode passivation pattern is provided on a sidewall of the lower electrode that protrudes from the surface of the first insulating layer. A second insulating layer is provided on the first insulating layer and includes a second opening therein at least partially exposing the lower electrode. A variable resistance material layer extends into the second opening to contact the lower electrode. The electrode passivation layer electrically separates the sidewall of the lower electrode from the variable resistance material layer. The electrode passivation pattern is formed of a material having an etching selectivity to that of the second insulating layer. Related fabrication methods are also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-Hyun Jeong, JaeHee Oh, Heung Jin Joo, Sung-Ho Eun
  • Patent number: 8748893
    Abstract: An array substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a gate line on a substrate; a gate electrode connected to the gate line; a gate insulating layer on the gate line and the gate electrode and including a gate opening; an active layer on the gate insulating layer and overlapping the gate electrode; an ohmic contact layer on the active layer; a source electrode on the ohmic contact layer; a drain electrode on the ohmic contact layer and spaced apart from the source electrode, wherein one end of the drain electrode is disposed in the gate opening; a data line on the gate insulating layer and connected to the source electrode, the data line crossing the gate line; a passivation layer on the data line and the source and drain electrodes and including a pixel opening, wherein the pixel opening exposes the drain electrode in the gate opening and a portion of the gate insulating layer; and a pixel electrode on the gate insulating layer and in the pixel opening, the pixel electrode contacting the one end
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Hoon Ahn, Kyoung-Nam Lim, Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 8723261
    Abstract: A recessed gate transistor with cylindrical fins is disclosed. The recessed gate transistor is disposed in an active region of a semiconductor substrate. Two isolation regions disposed in the semiconductor substrate to define an active region therebetween. The recessed gate transistor includes a gate structure, a source doping region and a drain doping region. The gate structure has at least three fins forms a concave and convex bottom of the gate structure. The front fin is disposed in one of the two isolation regions, the middle fin is disposed in the active region and a last fin disposed in the other one of the two isolation regions. The front fin and the last fin are both cylindrical. A lower part of the gate structure is M-shaped when view from the source doping region to the drain doping region direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Nanya Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Tieh-Chiang Wu, Yi-Nan Chen, Hsien-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 8716812
    Abstract: A field effect transistor having a gate structure comprising a high-K dielectric layer, a gate electrode located on the high-K dielectric layer, and an interfacial layer located in between the high-K dielectric layer and a channel region of the field effect transistor. The interfacial layer comprises a layer of SiO2 containing a regrowth inhibiting agent. A method of forming the gate structure includes forming a gate stack comprising, in order: a SiO2 layer adjacent a channel region of the field effect transistor; a high-K dielectric layer on the SiO2 layer; and a gate electrode on the high-K dielectric layer. The method also includes introducing a regrowth inhibiting agent into the SiO2 layer and then annealing the gate structure. The presence of the regrowth inhibiting agent in the SiO2 interfacial layer inhibits regrowth of the SiO2 layer into the channel region during the annealing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Markus Mueller, Guillaume Boccardi, Jasmine Petry
  • Patent number: 8704227
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an LED and its fabrication method. The LED comprises: a sapphire substrate; an epitaxial layer, an active layer and a capping layer arranged on the sapphire substrate in sequence; wherein a plurality of cone-shaped structures are formed on the surface of the sapphire substrate close to the epitaxial layer. The cone-shaped structures can increase the light reflected by the sapphire substrate, raising the external quantum efficiency of the LED, thus increasing the light utilization rate of the LED. Furthermore, the formation of a plurality of cone-shaped structures can improve the lattice matching between the sapphire substrate and other films, reducing the crystal defects in the film formed on the sapphire substrate, increasing the internal quantum efficiency of the LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Enraytek Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Deyuan Xiao, Richard Rugin Chang, Mengjan Cherng, Chijen Hsu
  • Patent number: 8674354
    Abstract: A more convenient and highly reliable semiconductor device which has a transistor including an oxide semiconductor with higher impact resistance used for a variety of applications is provided. A semiconductor device has a bottom-gate transistor including a gate electrode layer, a gate insulating layer, and an oxide semiconductor layer over a substrate, an insulating layer over the transistor, and a conductive layer over the insulating layer. The insulating layer covers the oxide semiconductor layer and is in contact with the gate insulating layer. In a channel width direction of the oxide semiconductor layer, end portions of the gate insulating layer and the insulating layer are aligned with each other over the gate electrode layer, and the conductive layer covers a channel formation region of the oxide semiconductor layer and the end portions of the gate insulating layer and the insulating layer and is in contact with the gate electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8674443
    Abstract: A support substrate comprises first and second counter-electrodes arranged in the same plane at the level of a surface of the support substrate. An electrically insulating area separates the first and second counter-electrodes. A semi-conducting area with first and second portions is separated from the support substrate by an electrically insulating material. The electrically insulating material is different from the material forming the support substrate. The first portion of the semi-conducting area is facing the first counter-electrode. The second portion of the semi-conducting area is facing the second counter-electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignees: Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventors: Philippe Coronel, Claire Fenouillet-Beranger, Stephane Denorme, Olivier Thomas
  • Patent number: 8664655
    Abstract: An organic light emitting display apparatus has a hybrid structure in which resonance red, green and blue pixels and a non-resonance white pixel are combined. An optical path control layer and a white color filter which selectively absorbs light having a specific wavelength are included in the white pixel. Thus, the organic light emitting display apparatus has a large viewing angle, low power consumption, and long lifetime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Hun Lee, Gun-Shik Kim
  • Patent number: 8665509
    Abstract: A method of bonding metal and glass using an optical contact bonding includes depositing an optical contact bonding medium on a surface of a metal substrate; and bonding the metal substrate on which the optical contact bonding medium is formed to a glass substrate using optical contact bonding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joon-Hyung Kim
  • Patent number: 8664724
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge semiconductor device can include a first conductivity type substrate that includes inner first conductivity type wells therein and a plurality of gate electrodes that are on an active region of the substrate. A second conductivity type well can be located in the substrate beneath the plurality of gate electrodes including at least one slit therein providing electrical contact between the inner first conductivity type wells and a first conductivity type outer well outside the active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Se-Young Kim, Gi-Young Yang
  • Patent number: 8659128
    Abstract: A flip chip package structure includes a chip placed under a lead frame, a bump on the upper surface of the chip that is electrically connected to the lead of the lead frame, and a backside metal on the lower surface of the chip that is exposed outside an encapsulant encapsulating the chip and a portion of the lead frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yu-Lin Yang, Lih-Ming Doong
  • Patent number: 8652922
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a resistor on an insulator layer over a substrate and forming a trench in the resistor and into the substrate. The method also includes forming a liner on sidewalls of the trench and forming a core comprising a high thermal conductivity material in the trench and on the liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph M. Lukaitis, Jed H. Rankin, Robert R. Robison, Dustin K. Slisher, Timothy D. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8653621
    Abstract: A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting element LE1 or LD1 has: a gallium nitride substrate 11 having a principal surface 11a which makes an angle ?, in the range 40° to 50° or in the range more than 90° to 130°, with the reference plane Sc perpendicular to the reference axis Cx extending in the c axis direction; an n-type gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer 13; a second gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer 17; and a light-emitting layer 15 including a plurality of well layers of InGaN and a plurality of barrier layers 23 of a GaN-based semiconductor, wherein the direction of piezoelectric polarization of the plurality of well layers 21 is the direction from the n-type gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer 13 toward the second gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer 17.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kyono, Yohei Enya, Yusuke Yoshizumi, Katsushi Akita, Masaki Ueno, Takamichi Sumitomo, Masahiro Adachi, Shinji Tokuyama
  • Patent number: 8652921
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a substrate that includes a cell array region and a dummy pattern region surrounding the cell array region. The cell array region includes a cell structure having a plurality of cell active pillars extending in a vertical direction from the cell array region of the substrate and includes cell gate patterns and cell gate interlayer insulating patterns alternately stacked on the substrate. The cell gate patterns and cell gate interlayer insulating patterns have sides facing the cell active pillars. The dummy pattern region includes a damp-proof structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung-Jun Lee, Woonkyung Lee
  • Patent number: 8652961
    Abstract: Methods and structure for adapting MEMS structures to form electrical interconnections for integrated circuits. A first portion and a second portion of the metal conductor, which can be electrically isolated within a CMOS IC device, can be etched to form an unetched portion of the metal conductor. The MEMS device can be patterned, from a MEMS layer formed overlying the metal conductor, via a plasma etching process, during which the unetched portion of the metal conductor is protected from the plasma. The metal conductor can be electrically coupled to the CMOS IC device via a conductive jumper or the like. Furthermore, the integrated CMOS-MEMS device can include a MEMS device coupled to a CMOS IC device via an electrically isolated metal conductor within the CMOS IC device. Also, the metal conductor can be electrically coupled to the substrate of the CMOS IC device via a conductive jumper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: mCube Inc.
    Inventor: Xiao “Charles” Yang