Patents Examined by Tony Tran
  • Patent number: 11411019
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a vertical memory structure with air gaps and a method for preparing the vertical memory structure. The vertical memory structure includes a semiconductor stack including a lower semiconductor pattern structure filling a recess on a substrate and protruding from an upper surface of the substrate in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate; a plurality of gate electrodes surrounding a sidewall of the semiconductor stack, the plurality of gate electrodes being at a plurality of levels, respectively, so as to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction; and a plurality of air gap structures disposed at outer sides of the plurality of gate electrodes respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuan-Yuan Lin
  • Patent number: 11411095
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a fin comprising silicon, the fin having a lower fin portion and an upper fin portion. A gate electrode is over the upper fin portion of the fin, the gate electrode having a first side opposite a second side. A first epitaxial source or drain structure is embedded in the fin at the first side of the gate electrode. A second epitaxial source or drain structure is embedded in the fin at the second side of the gate electrode, the first and second epitaxial source or drain structures comprising silicon and germanium and having a match-stick profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Subhash Joshi, Michael J. Jackson, Michael L. Hattendorf
  • Patent number: 11387184
    Abstract: A three-dimensional semiconductor device may include a substrate having a cell area and an extension area, a word line stack disposed above the substrate, the word line stack including mold layers and word lines alternately stacked, vertical channel structures vertically penetrating the word line stack in the cell area, and a first extension through-via structure vertically penetrating the word line stack in the extension area. The first extension through-via structure may include a first via plug and a first via liner layer surrounding sidewalls of the first via plug. The first via liner layer may include first dents respectively disposed at the same levels horizontally as the word lines of the word line stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junhyoung Kim, Joongshik Shin, Kwangsoo Kim
  • Patent number: 11380715
    Abstract: A display substrate having a display area and a gate-on-array (GOA) area outside the display area is provided. The display substrate includes a base substrate; a light shielding layer on the base substrate; an insulating layer on a side of the light shielding layer away from the base substrate; and a GOA signal line on a side of the insulating layer away from the light shielding layer, and is connected electrically in parallel with a first part of the light shielding layer, the first part being in the GOA area. The display substrate includes a plurality of first vias extending through the insulating layer in the GOA area. The GOA signal line is electrically connected to the first part of the light shielding layer through the plurality of first vias respectively, thereby connecting the GOA signal line and the first part of the light shielding layer electrically in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hongwei Tian, Yanan Niu, Chunyang Wang, Dong Li, Zheng Liu, Shuai Zhang
  • Patent number: 11367645
    Abstract: Implementations described herein provide a method for calibrating a temperature of a substrate support assembly which enables discrete tuning of the temperature profile of a substrate support assembly. In one embodiment, a system, comprises a memory, wherein the memory includes an application program configured to perform an operation on a substrate support assembly, a control board disposed in a substrate support assembly, wherein the control board comprises a processor having an wireless interface, a pulse width modification (PWM) heater controller, wherein the processor is connected with the memory to read and access the application program from the memory when in operation, and a heating element coupled to the pulse width modification (PWM) heater controller, wherein the heating element comprises a plurality of spatially tunable heaters that are individually tunable by the pulse width modification (PWM) heater controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip Criminale, Zhiqiang Guo, Andrew Myles
  • Patent number: 11355529
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor in which on-state current is high is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first transistor provided in a driver circuit portion and a second transistor provided in a pixel portion; the first transistor and the second transistor have different structures. Furthermore, the the first transistor and the second transistor are transistors having a top-gate structure. In an oxide semiconductor film of each of the transistors, an impurity element is contained in regions which do not overlap with a gate electrode. The regions of the oxide regions. Furthermore, the regions of the oxide semiconductor film which contain the impurity element are in contact with a film containing hydrogen. The first transistor provided in the driver circuit portion includes two gate electrodes between which the oxide semiconductor film is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junichi Koezuka, Masami Jintyou, Yukinori Shima, Daisuke Kurosaki, Masataka Nakada, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11333968
    Abstract: An additional non-photoresist layer may be formed on patterned photoresist layers. The additional layer may be preferentially formed on the tops of the photoresist layer versus the sidewalls of the photoresist layer. In addition, the additional layer may be preferential formed on the tops of the photoresist layer versus exposed surfaces of layers underlying the photoresist layer. In this manner, the patterned structures formed by the photoresist layer are less likely to have line opens due to photoresist height variability or the relative thinness of the photoresist height used. Further, the formation of the additional layer may be through a cyclic deposition/trim process. The trim step of the cyclic process may also serve as a descum step that helps reduce line bridging and scumming. In one embodiment, the additional non-photoresist layer may be an organic polymer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Angelique D. Raley, Eric Chih-Fang Liu, Nihar Mohanty
  • Patent number: 11335696
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a substrate, a first conductive layer, first and second pillars. The substrate includes first to third regions. The first pillars are provided in the first region to penetrate the first conductive layer. The second pillars are provided in the second region or the third region to penetrate the first conductive layer. The second region includes first and second sub-regions. The first sub-region includes a contact corresponding to the first conductive layer. A coverage of the second pillars in the second sub-region is higher than a coverage of the second pillars in the first sub-region and lower than or equal to a coverage of the first pillars in the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventors: Kenya Otaguro, Hisashi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11329217
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnetic memory array provides back end of line annealing for associated processing circuitry without causing thermal damage to magnetic memory elements of the magnetic memory array. An array of magnetic memory element pillars is formed on a wafer, and the magnetic memory elements are surrounded by a dielectric isolation material. After the pillars have been formed and surrounded by the dielectric isolation material an annealing process is performed to both anneal the memory element pillars to form a desired grain structure in the memory element pillars and also to perform back end of line thermal processing for circuitry associated with the memory element array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Integrated Silicon Solution, (Cayman) Inc.
    Inventors: Jorge Vasquez, Bartlomiej Adam Kardasz, Jacob Anthony Hernandez, Thomas D. Boone, Georg Wolf, Mustafa Pinarbasi
  • Patent number: 11319630
    Abstract: [Object] To make it difficult for components other than films to be contained in a lamination interface. [Solving Means] In a deposition apparatus, a vacuum chamber includes a partition wall which defines a plasma formation space and includes quartz. An deposition preventive plate is provided between at least a part of the partition wall and the plasma formation space and includes at least one of yttria, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide. On a support stage, a substrate including a trench or hole including a bottom portion and a side wall is capable of being disposed. A plasma generation source generates first plasma of deposition gas including silicon introduced into the plasma formation space to thereby form a semiconductor film including silicon on the bottom portion and the side wall. The plasma generation source generates second plasma of etching gas including halogen introduced into the plasma formation space to thereby selectively remove the semiconductor film formed on the side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Tonari
  • Patent number: 11322535
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device which includes a plurality of pixels in an arrangement, each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion element, pixel transistors including a transfer transistor, and a floating diffusion region, in which the channel width of transfer gate of the transfer transistor is formed to be larger on a side of the floating diffusion region than on a side of the photoelectric conversion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Kudoh
  • Patent number: 11315826
    Abstract: A three-dimensional memory device includes a substrate, a plurality of horizontal conductive layers, a plurality of vertical memory structures and a vertical conductive post. The conductive layers are located above the substrate, and immediately-adjacent two of the conductive layers are spaced by a first air gap. The memory structures pass through the conductive layers and are connected to the substrate. The conductive post is located between immediately-adjacent two of the memory structures and passes through the conductive layers and is connected to the substrate. The conductive post is spaced from immediately-adjacent edges of the conductive layers by a second air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Erh-Kun Lai, Hsiang-Lan Lung
  • Patent number: 11302535
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device has a fin structure that protrudes vertically upwards. A lateral dimension of the fin structure is reduced. A semiconductor layer is formed on the fin structure after the reducing of the lateral dimension. An annealing process is performed to the semiconductor device after the forming of the semiconductor layer. A dielectric layer is formed over the fin structure after the performing of the annealing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tzung-Yi Tsai, Yen-Ming Chen, Tsung-Lin Lee, Po-Kang Ho
  • Patent number: 11282783
    Abstract: A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, memory stack structures vertically extending through the alternating stack, a perforated dielectric moat structure vertically extending through the alternating stack, and an interconnection via structure laterally surrounded by the perforated dielectric moat structure and vertically extending through each insulating layer within the alternating stack. Each of the memory stack structures includes a vertical semiconductor channel and a vertical stack of memory elements located at levels of the electrically conductive layers. The perforated dielectric moat structure includes a plurality of lateral openings at each level of the insulating layers, and does not include any opening at levels of the electrically conductive layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Otsu, Masanori Terahara, Junpei Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 11268334
    Abstract: Methods and systems for enhancing workflow performance in the oil and gas industry may estimate the properties of drilling muds (e.g., density and/or viscosity) located downhole with methods that utilize real-time data, estimated drilling mud properties, and mathematical models. Further, the methods described herein may optionally account for the uncertainties induced by sensor readings and dynamic modeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Xingyong Song, Jason D. Dykstra
  • Patent number: 11271163
    Abstract: In a method, a charged metal dot is deposited on a first position of a surface of a semiconductor substrate. Then, a charged region is formed on a second position of the surface of the semiconductor substrate, thereby establishing of which an electric field direction from the first position toward the second position. The first position is spaced apart from the second position by a distance. Thereafter, a precursor gas flows along the electric field direction on the semiconductor substrate, thereby forming a carbon nanotube (CNT) on the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Martin Christopher Holland, Timothy Vasen, Blandine Duriez
  • Patent number: 11264518
    Abstract: A solar cell is fabricated by etching one or more of its layers without substantially etching another layer of the solar cell. In one embodiment, a copper layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching a topmost metallic layer comprising tin. For example, an etchant comprising sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide may be employed to etch the copper layer selective to the tin layer. A particular example of the aforementioned etchant is a Co-Bra Etch® etchant modified to comprise about 1% by volume of sulfuric acid, about 4% by volume of phosphoric acid, and about 2% by volume of stabilized hydrogen peroxide. In one embodiment, an aluminum layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching the tin layer. For example, an etchant comprising potassium hydroxide may be employed to etch the aluminum layer without substantially etching the tin layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas H. Rose, Pongsthorn Uralwong, David D. Smith
  • Patent number: 11239098
    Abstract: According to one aspect of technique described herein, there is provided a technique including; a process chamber in which at least one substrate is processed; an electromagnetic wave supply part configured to supply an electromagnetic wave to the at least one substrate; a substrate holding part configured to hold the at least one substrate and at least one susceptor for suppressing the electromagnetic wave from being adsorbed to an edge of the at least one substrate; a substrate transfer part configured to transfer the at least one substrate; and a controller configured to control the substrate transfer part so as to correct a position of the at least one susceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukitomo Hirochi
  • Patent number: 11233091
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device including a resistive memory cell having a single fin includes concurrently forming a vertical transistor and a resistive element on a base substrate, including forming a first gate structure corresponding to a gate of the vertical transistor and a second gate structure corresponding to an electrode of the resistive element, forming a top source/drain layer on a fin formed on a bottom source/drain layer disposed on the base substrate, and forming a plurality of contacts. Forming the plurality of contacts includes forming a first contact corresponding to the first gate structure, a second contact corresponding to the top source/drain region and a third contact corresponding to the second gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kangguo Cheng
  • Patent number: 11211401
    Abstract: A memory device includes a substrate. A first dielectric layer is disposed over the substrate. A plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of dielectric layers are alternately and horizontally disposed on the substrate. A channel column structure is disposed on the substrate and in the conductive layers and the dielectric layers. A side wall of the channel column structure is in contact with the plurality of conductive layers. A second dielectric layer covers the first dielectric layer. A conductive column structure is in the first and second dielectric layers, adjacent to the channel column structure, and in contact with one of the plurality of conductive layers. The conductive column structure includes a liner insulating layer as a shell layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yao-An Chung, Yuan-Chieh Chiu, Ting-Feng Liao, Kuang-Wen Liu, Kuang-Chao Chen