Patents Examined by Thu-Huong Dinh
  • Patent number: 7390756
    Abstract: A dielectric layer containing an atomic layer deposited zirconium silicon oxide film disposed in an integrated circuit and a method of fabricating such a dielectric layer provide a dielectric layer for use in a variety of electronic devices. Embodiments include forming zirconium silicates as dielectric layers in devices in an integrated circuit. In an embodiment, a zirconium silicon oxide film is formed by atomic layer deposition using a zirconium precursor containing silicon and a silicon precursor. Embodiments include structures for capacitors, transistors, memory devices, and electronic systems with dielectric layers containing an atomic layer deposited zirconium silicon oxide film, and methods for forming such structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kie Y. Ahn, Leonard Forbes
  • Patent number: 7384875
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a flexible tube connects at least part of a path extending from a reaction chamber to a detoxification device through a vacuum pump. The flexible tube has a tube body made of hard material, the tube body having projected parts and depressed parts and a cover provided over an outer surface of the tube body, the cover being made of elastic material, the cover being in contact with around the projected parts of the tube body and formed over the depressed parts of the tube body so that a vacant space is formed between the tube body and the cover. Then, a semiconductor substrate is disposed within the reaction chamber. The vacuum pump is activated to bring the reaction chamber into a pressure-reduced state. A reaction gas is supplied to the reaction chamber. Finally, the reaction gas causes to react to thereby deposit a reactant on the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiji Takaara
  • Patent number: 7384846
    Abstract: A method of fabricating semiconductor devices. Upon formation of a trench for isolation in a cell region, a hard mask film is used as an etch mask. It is thus possible to prevent attacks of a lower layer due to deformation or loss of the etch mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Inno Lee
  • Patent number: 7381612
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having recess channels and asymmetrical junctions. The method includes forming an impurity region for adjusting the threshold voltage by implanting ions into a bit line junction of a semiconductor substrate, which includes storage nodes junction, the bit line junction, and channel regions between the source and bit line junctions, and portions of the channel regions of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the bit line junction; forming recess channel trenches by etching the channel regions of the semiconductor substrate to a designated depth; forming a gate stack on the semiconductor substrate provided with the recess channel trenches; and forming the storage nodes junction and the bit line junction on the semiconductor substrate provided with the gate stack via ion implantation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Moon Sik Suh
  • Patent number: 7375000
    Abstract: A semiconductor resistor, method of making the resistor and method of making an IC including resistors. Buried wells are formed in the silicon substrate of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer. At least one trench is formed in the buried wells. Resistors are formed along the sidewalls of the trench and, where multiple trenches form pillars, in the pillars between the trenches by doping the sidewalls with an angled implant. Resistor contacts are formed to the buried well at opposite ends of the trenches and pillars, if any.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Edward J. Nowak, Richard Q. Williams
  • Patent number: 7371637
    Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor structure comprises forming an oxide layer on a substrate; forming a silicon nitride layer on the oxide layer; annealing the layers in NO; and annealing the layers in ammonia. The equivalent oxide thickness of the oxide layer and the silicon nitride layer together is at most 25 Angstroms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Krishnaswamy Ramkumar, Sundar Narayanan
  • Patent number: 7365000
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for fabricating a semiconductor device capable of preventing an inter-layer insulation layer from being damaged during a wet cleaning process due to a density difference created by reliance on a thickness of a SOG layer subjected to a curing process and of overcoming defects caused by an improper contact opening in a certain region and a punch taken place by micro voids of an APL layer. Particularly, the method includes the steps of: forming a plurality of conductive structure on a substrate; forming a spin-on-glass layer; curing the spin-on-glass layer; forming an advanced-planarization-layer on the spin-on-glass layer; and forming a plurality of contact holes by selectively etching the advanced-planarization-layer and the spin-on-glass layer, thereby exposing portions of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Sung-Kwon Lee, Min-Suk Lee
  • Patent number: 7365805
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for manufacturing a display device comprising the steps of forming a first film pattern using a photosensitive material over a substrate, forming a second film pattern in such a way that the first film pattern is exposed by being irradiated with a laser beam, modifying a surface of the second film pattern into a droplet-shedding surface, forming a source electrode and a drain electrode by discharging a conductive material to an outer edge of the droplet-shedding surface by a droplet-discharging method, and forming a semiconductor region, a gate-insulating film, and a gate electrode over the source electrode and the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Maekawa, Shunpei Yamazaki, Hironobu Shoji
  • Patent number: 7361555
    Abstract: A trench-gate transistor has an integral first layer of silicon dioxide extending from the upper surface of the semiconductor body over top corners of each cell array trench. The integral first layer also provides a thin gate dielectric insulating layer for a thick gate electrode and the integral first layer also provides a first part of a stack of materials which constitute a thick trench sidewall insulating layer for a thin field plate. Consistent with an example embodiment, there is a method of manufacture. A hardmask used to etch the trenches is removed before providing the silicon dioxide layer. The layer is then protected by successive selective etching of the oxide layer and the nitride layer in the upper parts of the trenches. After the gate electrodes are provided, layers for the channel accommodating regions and source regions may be formed through the oxide layer on the upper surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Gerrit E. J. Koops, Michael A. A. In 'T Zandt
  • Patent number: 7358147
    Abstract: There is provided a process for producing an SOI wafer in which, when producing an SOI wafer using Smart Cut technology, the surface can be smoothed after cleaving, the thickness of the SOI layer can be reduced, and the film thickness of the SOI wafer can be made uniform. In this process for producing an SOI wafer, hydrogen gas ions are implanted via an oxide film in a silicon wafer that is to be used for an active layer, so that an ion implanted layer is formed in the silicon bulk. Next, this active layer silicon wafer is bonded via an insulating film to a base wafer. By heating this base wafer, a portion thereof can be cleaved using the ion implanted layer as a boundary, thereby forming an SOI wafer. After the cleaving has been performed using the ion implanted layer as a boundary, the SOI wafer undergoes oxidization processing in an oxidizing atmosphere. This oxide film is then removed by, for example, HF solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Sumco Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Morimoto, Hideki Nishihata
  • Patent number: 7358146
    Abstract: A carbon containing masking layer is patterned to include a plurality of container openings therein having minimum feature dimensions of less than or equal to 0.20 micron. The container openings respectively have at least three peripheral corner areas which are each rounded. The container forming layer is plasma etched through the masking layer openings. In one implementation, such plasma etching uses conditions effective to both a) etch the masking layer to modify shape of the masking layer openings by at least reducing degree of roundness of the at least three corners in the masking layer, and b) form container openings in the container forming layer of the modified shapes. Capacitors comprising container shapes are formed using the container openings in the container forming layer. Other implementations and aspects are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Aaron R. Wilson
  • Patent number: 7348248
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a gate dielectric over a substrate, a gate electrode over the gate dielectric, a slim gate spacer along a side of the gate electrode, and a source/drain region substantially aligned with an edge of the slim gate spacer. The source/drain region includes a first implantation region having an overlap with the gate electrode, a second implantation region further away from the channel region than the first implantation region, and a third implantation region further away from the channel region than the second implantation region. The source/drain region preferably further comprises an epitaxy region spaced apart from the slim gate spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shui-Ming Cheng
  • Patent number: 7344938
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a memory device is described. During the process of forming the memory cell area and the periphery area of a semiconductor device a photoresist layer is formed on the memory cell area before the spacers are formed on the sidewalls of the gates. Therefore, the memory cell area is prevented from being damaged to mitigate the leakage current problem during the process of forming spacers in the periphery circuit area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: MACRONIX International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kent Kuohua Chang, Jongoh Kim, Yider Wu
  • Patent number: 7344957
    Abstract: A method (100) of forming a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer includes forming one or more channels in a top surface of a first wafer (104), and forming an insulator layer on a second wafer (106). The second wafer is treated (108) to generate a structural weakness therein, and the first and second wafers together (110) are then bonded together so that the channels face the insulator layer. A portion of the second wafer is then removed (112) from the bonded first and second wafers at a location corresponding to the structure weakness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Gabriel G. Barna
  • Patent number: 7341906
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a method of manufacturing sidewall spacers on a memory device, and a memory device comprising such sidewall spacers. In one illustrative embodiment, the method includes forming sidewall spacers on a memory device comprised of a memory array and at least one peripheral circuit by forming a first sidewall spacer adjacent a word line structure in the memory array, the first sidewall spacer having a first thickness and forming a second sidewall spacer adjacent a transistor structure in the peripheral circuit, the second sidewall spacer having a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness, wherein the first and second sidewall spacers comprise material from a single layer of spacer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David K. Hwang, Kunal Parekh, Michael Willett, Jigish Trivedi, Suraj Mathew, Greg Peterson
  • Patent number: 7338853
    Abstract: A high power RF IC capable of impeding parasitic current loss and method of manufacturing the same. First a step of semiconductor front-side processing for the high power RF components that includes inductive components is performed. Afterwards, the backside of semiconductor base is polished to a certain thickness, and then lithography and etching processes is employed for forming a backside trench contact window. A backside deposition for oxide insulation layer can be performed so that the oxide insulation layer can be located in the semiconductor base right under the inductive components for impeding the parasitic current loss generated by the inductive components in the semiconductor base due to electromagnetic induction. Therefore, performance of the inductive components operating in high frequency can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Jung-Cheng Kao, David Day-Yee Lin
  • Patent number: 7335521
    Abstract: A Method for manufacturing an optical disc substrate comprises a first substrate with at least one structured surface, on which an anti-adhesive layer, preferably carbon, is deposited and first layer on top of said anti-adhesive layer. On a second substrate with a structured surface also a layer is deposited. Both substrates are bonded together with the layers facing each other. The separation now easily can take place afterwards alongside the adhesive layer. This way the first layer from the first substrate is being transferred to the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: OC Oerlikon Balzers AG
    Inventors: Martin Dubs, Wolfgang Nutt, Helfried Weinzerl, Thomas Eisenhammer
  • Patent number: 7332405
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit is fabricated in a substrate having a semiconductor layer and an underlying insulator layer. The fabrication process includes a step of locally oxidizing the semiconductor layer to form a field oxide, during which step the semiconductor layer is protected by a nitride film. The nitride film has both openings to permit local oxidization in the integrated circuit area, and an opening defining an alignment mark adjacent to the circuit area. The alignment mark may be formed either in the semiconductor and insulator layers, or in a part of the nitride film left after the nitride film is removed from the circuit area. In either case, the edge height of the alignment mark is not limited by the thickness of the semiconductor layer. Using the nitride layer to define both the alignment mark and the field oxide reduces the necessary number of fabrication steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sachiko Yabe, Takashi Taguchi, Minoru Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7326622
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor device is disclosed. A semiconductor substrate having a main surface is prepared. A gate dielectric layer is formed on the main surface. A gate electrode is patterned on the gate dielectric layer. The gate electrode has vertical sidewalls and a top surface. A liner is formed on the vertical sidewalls of the gate electrode. A silicon nitride spacer is formed on the liner. The main surface is then ion implanted using the gate electrode and the silicon nitride spacer as an implantation mask, thereby forming a source/drain region of the MOS transistor device in the main surface. The silicon nitride spacer is removed. A silicon nitride cap layer that borders the liner is deposited. The silicon nitride cap layer has a specific stress status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Yi-Cheng Liu, Jiunn-Ren Hwang, Wei-Tsun Shiau, Cheng-Tung Huang, Kuan-Yang Liao
  • Patent number: 7300832
    Abstract: A method of semiconductor device manufacture provided includes forming a gate insulating layer upon a single crystal semiconductor substrate, forming a gate electrode made from a polycrystal conductive film upon the gate insulating layer, implanting impurity in the gate electrode and in the surface layer of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to or separate from the gate electrode, performing a first heat treatment, and performing a second heat treatment. The first heat treatment performs heat treatment at a temperature that diffuses the impurity implanted mainly in the gate electrode and controls the diffusion of the impurity implanted in the surface layer of the semiconductor substrate. The second heat treatment performs heat treatment at a higher temperature and for a shorter time than the first heat treatment, and at a temperature that activates the impurity implanted in the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takayuki Ito, Kyoichi Suguro