Patents Examined by Thao X. Le
  • Patent number: 6787394
    Abstract: A method for producing integrated circuit devices comprises the steps of forming and packaging such devices at the wafer scale, including forming a plurality of chip circuits with bond pads, adhesively fixing a plate of glass to the active surface of the wafer, slicing the wafer, applying a sealant layer to the back side of the wafer, forming contact holes through the upper glass plate, metallizing the glass plate and singulating the individual chips. Use of etchable glass for the package and palladium for metallization provides an advantageous construction method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Warren M. Farnworth
  • Patent number: 6787413
    Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide alternative materials, and methods of forming such materials, that are effective as dielectric layers. Such embodiments include forming metal-containing dielectric layers over a silicon-containing substrate where a metal-containing layer is first formed and that treated to form a dielectric layer. Dielectric layers formed by methods of the present invention have a dielectric constant greater than that of silicon dioxide, and can have an equivalent oxide thickness of less than 2 nanometers. Such dielectric layers are useful in the forming of a variety of semiconductor devices such as transistors, capacitors and the like where such devices and integrated circuits formed from such devices are encompassed by embodiments in accordance with the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kie Y. Ahn, Leonard Forbes
  • Patent number: 6770551
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor element is provided. The method includes a first silicon region, a second silicon region, and a metal silicide layer, wherein the metal silicide layer contacts with the first silicon region and the second silicon region separately, the method including steps of performing a first doping process to dope an N-type dopant into the first silicon region and to dope a diffusion barrier impurity into a portion of the metal silicide layer contacting with the first silicon region, and performing a second doping process to dope a P-type dopant into the second silicon region and to dope a diffusion barrier impurity into a portion of the metal silicide layer contacting with the second silicon region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: ProMos Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Shih Chun Sun
  • Patent number: 6767814
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device having a silicide thin film and method of forming the same. A semiconductor device comprises a gate insulation layer formed on an active region of a semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode is formed on the gate insulation layer. An impurity region is formed in the active region adjacent the gate electrode. A silicide thin film such as a cobalt silicide thin film is formed to a thickness of less than approximately 200 Å in the impurity region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyung-Shin Kwon, Joon-Yong Joo, Kwang-Ok Koh, Sung-Bong Kim
  • Patent number: 6767788
    Abstract: A semiconductor has a MIM capacitor formed on the same level with a dual damascene Cu line. The semiconductor includes a first insulating interlayer with first contact holes, first metal lines formed in the first contact holes, and second and third insulating interlayers including the first metal lines. Second and third contact holes are formed in the second insulating interlayer to expose some region of the first metal lines, a trench is formed in the third insulating interlayer corresponding to the second and third contact holes, and a capacitor structure is formed in the second contact hole and the trench above the second contact hole. Second metal lines fill the second and third contact holes and the trenches above the second and third contact holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Si Bum Kim
  • Patent number: 6765253
    Abstract: A state of storage of a memory cell is determined based on the capacitance stored in capacitor, and the memory cell includes a transfer gate transistor, a capacitor and first and second inverters cross coupled with each other. The capacitor has one electrode electrically connected to an output node of the second inverter, and the other electrode is electrically connected to an output node of the first inverter. Thus, a semiconductor memory device that does not require refresh operation can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology, Corp.
    Inventor: Yasushi Nakashima
  • Patent number: 6753608
    Abstract: It is intended to prevent a crack from occurring in a circuit region during dicing, while preventing oxidation and corrosion of a seal ring including a layer of copper as the uppermost layer thereof. A passivation film (120) has an opening (123) formed therein, The opening (123) is formed so as to reach an interlayer insulating film (109) and disposed so as to surround a periphery of a seal ring (110). As a result, a top face of a second interconnect layer (114) is completely covered by the passivation film (120), and is not exposed to an ambient air. Hence, it is possible to prevent an effect of protecting a semiconductor device achieved by the seal ring (110) from being reduced due to oxidation and corrosion of the second interconnect layer (114). Further, provision of the opening (123) does not allow a stress generated at a time of cutting a dicing region during dicing to easily propagate to a portion of the passivation film (120) present on the circuit region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Kazuo Tomita
  • Patent number: 6753559
    Abstract: A gate structure which includes a semiconductor substrate having a channel region, a gate insulator adjacent the channel region of the semiconductor substrate and a conductible gate adjacent the gate insulator. A primary insulation layer is adjacent the semiconductor substrate, the primary insulation layer having an opening where the gate insulator contacts the semiconductor substrate and an isolation dielectric layer adjacent the primary insulation layer, the isolation dielectric layer having an opening where the conductible gate is located and the isolation dielectric layer having a silicon oxynitride material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Amitava Chatterjee, Wei William Lee, Greg A. Hames, Qizhi He, Maureen Hanratty, Iqbal Ali
  • Patent number: 6750534
    Abstract: A new method is provided to identify semiconductor devices whereby the invention provides for a shallow depression on the backside of the heat sink of the ball grid array package. This shallow depression or hole can be used for visual and optical inspection of the device orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: ST Assembly Test Services Ltd
    Inventors: Weddie Pacio Aquien, Loreto Y. Cantillep, Setho Sing Fee
  • Patent number: 6746918
    Abstract: A stack-gate non-volatile memory device with a tapered floating-gate structure is disclosed by the present invention, in which the tapered floating-gate structure offers a longer effective channel length to alleviate the punch-through effect and a larger surface area for erasing or programming between the tapered floating-gate structure and the integrated common-source/drain conductive structure. The stack-gate non-volatile memory devices of the present invention are implemented into three contactless array architectures: a contactless NOR-type array, a contacless NAND-type array, and a contactless parallel common-source/drain conductive bit-lines array. The features and advantages of the contactless memory arrays are a smaller cell size of 4F2, a smaller common-source/drain bus-line resistance and capacitance, a higher erasing speed, and a smaller bit/word-line resistance and capacitance, as compared to the prior arts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Silicon Based Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Ching-Yuan Wu
  • Patent number: 6746914
    Abstract: A first and second damascene copper interconnect plug are created over the surface of a substrate. A MIM capacitor, which is aligned with the second damascene copper interconnect plug, is created by a one-time etch of a stack of layers comprising Ta/capacitor dielectric/Ta. Copper interconnects are then created aligned with the MIM capacitor and the second damascene interconnect plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.
    Inventors: Shao Kai, Ng Hwei, Sanford Chu
  • Patent number: 6747337
    Abstract: A dicing lines is placed to overlap a slip created in a wafer, so that the slip extends within the dicing line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Yamamoto, Yasuhiro Kimura
  • Patent number: 6747292
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-layer structure used in an optical communication field and its manufacturing method in which the capacitance effect between the metal patterns of a Silicon Optical Bench (SiOB) is significantly reduced. The multi-layer structure includes a dielectric layer and conductive patterns on a semiconductor substrate, such that the conductive patterns are separated from each other, wherein the dielectric layer and upper portions of the semiconductor substrate between the conductive patterns are etched out to a predetermined thickness to effectively reduce the capacitance without changing the area or structure of the metal patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Sik Kim, Joong-Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 6740544
    Abstract: A method for attaching a die (11) to a substrate (15) is provided. In accordance with the method, a die and a substrate are provided which are to be connected to each other across first and second surfaces. The first and second surfaces are contacted with a liquid solder composition (21) having a maximum melting temperature Tm1, of less than about 100 C. The liquid solder composition is contacted with a freezing agent (17 or 19) such that a second composition is formed which has a maximum melting temperature Tm2, wherein T2−Tm1 is at least about 25° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Floyd Strouse, Lori D. Carroll Shearer, Brant Besser
  • Patent number: 6740579
    Abstract: An improved method for making a semiconductor device is described. That method includes forming a first dielectric layer on a substrate, then forming on the first dielectric layer a second dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is made from a material that is more sensitive to radiation of a specified wavelength and energy than is the material from which the first dielectric layer is made. After the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer are exposed to radiation of a specified wavelength and energy, a portion of the first dielectric layer is removed to form a via, and a portion of the second dielectric layer is removed to form a trench. The via and trench are then filled with a conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Ebrahim Andideh
  • Patent number: 6740593
    Abstract: The invention includes a semiconductor processing method in which a semiconductor substrate is exposed to reactive ion etching conditions. The reactive ion etching conditions comprise subjecting exposed surfaces of the substrate to a gas having components therein which are reactive with the exposed surfaces. A total concentration of the reactive components within the gas is less than 4.5%, by volume. In particular aspects, the total concentration of the reactive components can be less than 2% by volume, or less than 1% by volume. Exemplary reactive components are fluorine-containing components, such as NF3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin J. Torek, Satish Bedge
  • Patent number: 6737293
    Abstract: Nanoparticle dispersions of ZnS doped with a luminescent center are prepared by precipitation from aqueous solutions. When such dispersions are coated between conductive electrodes a Thin Film Inorganic Light Emitting Diode device is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: AGFA-Gevaert
    Inventor: Hieronymus Andriessen
  • Patent number: 6737725
    Abstract: A method for forming a multilayer interconnect structure on a substrate that include interconnected conductive wiring and vias spaced apart by a combination of solid or gaseous dielectrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Jeffrey Curtis Hedrick, Christopher Vincent Jahnes, Satyanarayana Venkata Nitta, Kevin S. Petrarca, Sampath Purushothaman, Katherine Lynn Saenger, Stanley Joseph Whitehair
  • Patent number: 6734120
    Abstract: A method of enabling the removal of fluorine containing residue from a semiconductor substrate comprising applying a gas and/or vapor to which the residue is reactive to the residue while the temperature of the substrate is at an elevated level with respect to ambient temperature and the residue is exposed to ultraviolet radiation, for a time period which is sufficient to effect at least one of volatilizing the residue or rendering the residue hydrophilic enough to be removable with deionized water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Axcelis Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan Berry, Stuart Rounds, John Hallock, Michael Owens, Mahmoud Dahimene
  • Patent number: 6730592
    Abstract: A planarization method includes providing a metal-containing surface (preferably, a Group VIII metal-containing surface, and more preferably a platinum-containing surface) and positioning it for contact with a polishing surface in the presence of a planarization composition that includes a halogen and a halide salt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian A. Vaartstra