Patents Examined by Thomas L Dickey
  • Patent number: 10548345
    Abstract: A waterless vacuum based smoking apparatus utilizes vacuum created by translation of a cartridge within a chamber of a sheath body in order to accumulate within the chamber smoke or vapor from a combustible or vaporizable substance, which can then be expelled for inhalation by a user by reversing the translation of the cartridge within the chamber. Measurement and tracking functionalities are provided so that a user may accurately assess and monitor their intake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Inventors: Alexander M Jackson, Austin J. Nam
  • Patent number: 10553618
    Abstract: By applying an AC pulse to a gate of a transistor which easily deteriorates, a shift in threshold voltage of the transistor is suppressed. However, in a case where amorphous silicon is used for a semiconductor layer of a transistor, the occurrence of a shift in threshold voltage naturally becomes a problem for a transistor which constitutes a part of circuit that generates an AC pulse. A shift in threshold voltage of a transistor which easily deteriorates and a shift in threshold voltage of a turned-on transistor are suppressed by signal input to a gate electrode of the transistor which easily deteriorates through the turned-on transistor. In other words, a structure for applying an AC pulse to a gate electrode of a transistor which easily deteriorates through a transistor to a gate electrode of which a high potential (VDD) is applied, is included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Umezaki
  • Patent number: 10541262
    Abstract: A package for an image sensing chip is provided, which includes: an image sensing chip comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, where the first surface is provided with an image sensing region and a contact pad; a through hole extending from the second surface to the contact pad; an electrical connection layer provided along an inner wall of the through hole and extending onto the second surface; a solder mask filling the through hole and covering the electrical connection layer, wherein an opening is formed in the solder mask, and the electrical connection layer is exposed at a bottom of the opening; a guide contact pad covering an inner wall and the bottom of the opening and extending onto the solder mask; and a solder bump located on the guide contact pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: China Wafer Level CSP Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhiqi Wang, Zhuowei Wang, Guoliang Xie
  • Patent number: 10535773
    Abstract: After forming a gate structure over a semiconductor fin that extends upwards from a semiconductor substrate portion, a sigma cavity is formed within the semiconductor fin on each side of the gate structure. A semiconductor buffer region composed of an un-doped stress-generating semiconductor material is epitaxially growing from faceted surfaces of the sigma cavity. Finally, a doped semiconductor region composed of a doped stress-generating semiconductor material is formed on the semiconductor buffer region to completely fill the sigma cavity. The doped semiconductor region is formed to have substantially vertical sidewalls for formation of a uniform source/drain junction profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dechao Guo, Hemanth Jagannathan, Shogo Mochizuki, Gen Tsutsui, Chun-Chen Yeh
  • Patent number: 10529867
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method for manufacturing a Schottky diode with double P-type epitaxial layers may include steps of: providing a substrate; forming a first epitaxial layer on top of the substrate; forming a second epitaxial layer on top of the first epitaxial layer; depositing a third epitaxial layer on top of the second epitaxial layer; patterning the second and third epitaxial layers to form a plurality of trenches in the second and third epitaxial layers; depositing a first ohmic contact metal on a backside of the substrate; forming a second ohmic contact metal on top of the patterned third epitaxial layer; forming a Schottky contact metal at a bottom portion of each trench; and forming a pad electrode on top of the Schottky contact metal. In one embodiment, the second and third epitaxial layers can be made by P? type SiC and P+ type SiC, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: AZ Power Inc.
    Inventors: Na Ren, Zheng Zuo, Ruigang Li
  • Patent number: 10529822
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a gate structure formed over the substrate. In addition, a sidewall of the gate structure has a top portion having a first inclination, a middle portion having a second inclination, and a bottom portion having a third inclination, and the first inclination, the second inclination, and the third inclination are different from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kai-Li Cheng, Che-Cheng Chang
  • Patent number: 10529813
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including an n-type semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, having a cell region and a gate pad region, and including silicon carbide, and a unit cell formed in the cell region is configured as follows. A p-type body region formed in the semiconductor layer of the gate pad region, a first insulating film formed on the p-type body region, a conductive film formed on the first insulating film, and a second insulating film formed on the conductive film, and a gate pad formed on the second insulating film. Then, the film thickness of the first insulating film is 0.7 ?m or more, and more favorably 1.5 ?m or more. In addition, the electric field strength of the first insulating film is 3 MV/cm or less. Then, an opening portion is formed on the first insulating film in the gate pad region, and a resistance portion and a connection portion corresponding to the conductive film are formed in the opening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Sagawa, Takashi Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 10522748
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic device including a spin-current pattern generating a spin current perpendicular to a main plane of the spin-current pattern by an in-plane current, and a free magnetic layer disposed in contact with the spin-current pattern and having a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy magnetically switchable by the spin current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY FOUNDATION (UIF), YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Jongill Hong
  • Patent number: 10516017
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an emitter region, a base contact region, a buried region, and a carrier trap region. The emitter region and the base contact region are selectively disposed in the upper surface of the base region while being adjacent to each other. The buried region is disposed in the drift region below the base contact region or the emitter region. The carrier trap region is disposed between the buried region and the base region, and has a carrier lifetime shorter than that of the drift region. The device can improve latch-up breakdown tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Hamada, Kazuya Konishi, Kohei Ebihara
  • Patent number: 10515846
    Abstract: A multilayer semiconductor device structure having different circuit functions on different semiconductor device layers is provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a first semiconductor device layer fabricated on a bulk substrate. The first semiconductor device layer comprises a first semiconductor device for performing a first circuit function. The first semiconductor device layer includes a patterned top surface of different materials. The semiconductor structure further comprises a second semiconductor device layer fabricated on a semiconductor-on-insulator (“SOI”) substrate. The second semiconductor device layer comprises a second semiconductor device for performing a second circuit function. The second circuit function is different from the first circuit function. A bonding surface coupled between the patterned top surface of the first semiconductor device layer and a bottom surface of the SOI substrate is included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Yi-Tang Lin, Chun Hsiung Tsai, Clement Hsingjen Wann
  • Patent number: 10516016
    Abstract: A display device including a substrate including a first display region having a first width, a second display region having a second width smaller than the first width, a peripheral region at a periphery of the first and second display regions, and a dummy region in the peripheral region, a first pixel in the first display region, a second pixel in the second display region, a first control line connected to the first pixel and extending in the first display region, a second control line connected to the second pixel and extending in the second display region, and a dummy line connected to the second control line in the dummy region, wherein the second control line is at a first conductive layer on a first insulating layer, the dummy line is at a second conductive layer on a second insulating layer on the first conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yang Wan Kim, Byung Sun Kim, Su Jin Lee, Hyung Jun Park, Jae Yong Lee
  • Patent number: 10515965
    Abstract: Methods and structures for forming strained-channel finFETs are described. Fin structures for finFETs may be formed using two epitaxial layers of different lattice constants that are grown over a bulk substrate. A first thin, strained, epitaxial layer may be cut to form strain-relieved base structures for fins. The base structures may be constrained in a strained-relieved state. Fin structures may be epitaxially grown in a second layer over the base structures. The constrained base structures can cause higher amounts of strain to form in the epitaxially-grown fins than would occur for non-constrained base structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Pierre Morin, Nicolas Loubet
  • Patent number: 10516020
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: an n type semiconductor layer including an active region and an inactive region; an element structure formed in the active region and including at least an active side p type layer to form pn junction with n type portion of the n type semiconductor layer; an inactive side p type layer formed in the inactive region and forming pn junction with the n type portion of the n type semiconductor layer; a first electrode electrically connected to the active side p type layer in a front surface of the n type semiconductor layer; a second electrode electrically connected to the n type portion of the n type semiconductor layer in a rear surface of the n type semiconductor layer; and a crystal defect region formed in both the active region and the inactive region and having different depths in the active region and the inactive region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomonori Hoki
  • Patent number: 10504844
    Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor device includes a substrate having a cell array region and a peripheral circuit region. A cell array structure is in the cell array region and includes a 3D memory cell array. A peripheral logic structure is in the peripheral circuit region and includes a peripheral circuit transistor. A cell insulating layer insulates the cell array structure. A peripheral insulating layer is insulated from the peripheral logic structure and the cell array region and has a porous layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-woo Kim, Joon-sung Lim, Jang-gn Yun, Sung-min Hwang
  • Patent number: 10505076
    Abstract: A light-emitting device comprises a semiconductor stack; a pad electrode comprising a periphery disposed on the semiconductor stack; and a finger electrode connected to the pad electrode, wherein the finger electrode comprises a first portion extended from the periphery of the pad electrode and a second portion away from the pad electrode, the first portion comprises a first side and a second side, the first side is opposite to the second side, the first side comprises a first arc having a first curvature radius, and the first curvature radius is larger than 10 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Epistar Corporation
    Inventors: Chien-Hua Chou, Tai-Chun Wang, Chih-Tsung Su, Biau-Dar Chen
  • Patent number: 10505086
    Abstract: A light source device in the present invention includes a substrate, a light-emitting chip, a transparent sealant, and a top cover. The substrate has a supporting surface. The light-emitting chip is disposed on the supporting surface. The transparent sealant covers the light-emitting chip and is located on the supporting surface. The transparent sealant has a light-emitting surface located outside a side surface of the light-emitting chip. The top cover covers a side of the transparent sealant opposite to the substrate, and clamps the transparent sealant together with the substrate, and the light-emitting surface is located between the substrate and the top cover. A reflectance of the top cover is greater than a transmittance of the top cover, and the transmittance of the top cover is greater than 0.1%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: AU OPTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: I-Hsun Hsieh
  • Patent number: 10497755
    Abstract: A light emitting device having high definition, a high aperture ratio, and high reliability is provided. The present invention achieves high definition and a high aperture ratio with a full color flat panel display using red, green, and blue color emission light by intentionally forming laminate portions, wherein portions of different organic compound layers of adjacent light emitting elements overlap with each other, without depending upon the method of forming the organic compound layers or the film formation precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Toshiji Hamatani, Toru Takayama
  • Patent number: 10497643
    Abstract: A method of semiconductor device packaging to form a packaged semiconductor device includes providing (i) a vertical power semiconductor device die including a semiconductor substrate including a control node, a source or emitter on a top side or on a bottom side of the substrate, and a drain or a collector on another of the top side the bottom side, a backside metal (BSM) layer on the bottom side, and (ii) a leadframe. The leadframe includes a patterned die pad that includes a common continuous base portion and a two-dimensional array of spaced apart posts extending up from the base portion, with a separate solder cap on a top of the posts. The BSM layer is placed on the solder caps, and reflow processing bonds the BSM layer to the solder caps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Siva Prakash Gurrum, Manu J Prakuzhy
  • Patent number: 10497647
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices are provided. A semiconductor device includes gaps between conductive patterns. Moreover, the semiconductor device includes a permeable layer on the conductive patterns. Methods of fabricating semiconductor devices are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jongmin Baek, Sangho Rha, Sanghoon Ahn, Wookyung You, Naein Lee
  • Patent number: 10490517
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention include: a first pad electrode formed in an uppermost wiring layer of a multilayer wiring layer; a first insulating film formed on the first pad electrode; and a first organic insulating film formed over the first insulating film. Also, the semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof include: a barrier metal film formed on the first organic insulating film and connected to the first pad electrode; and a conductive film formed on the barrier metal film. Then, a second insulating film made of an inorganic material is formed on an upper surface of the first organic insulating film between the barrier metal film and the first organic insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Usami