Patents Examined by Vicki B Booker
  • Patent number: 11361994
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of forming a semiconductor structure. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate and forming a patterned metal structure on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the patterned metal structure includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer deposited in a single deposition step. The method further includes etching a portion of the second metal layer thereby forming a metal plug in the second metal layer, the first metal layer of the patterned metal structure having a first metal feature underlying and contacting the metal plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hsin-Ping Chen, Shau-Lin Shue, Min Cao
  • Patent number: 11355390
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip may comprise a first metal line disposed over a substrate. A via may be disposed directly over a top of the first metal line and the via may comprise a first lower surface and a second lower surface above the first lower surface. A first dielectric structure may be disposed laterally adjacent to the first metal line and may be disposed along a sidewall of the first metal line. A first protective etch-stop structure may be disposed directly over a top of the first dielectric structure and the first protective etch-stop structure may vertically separate the second lower surface of the via from the top of the first dielectric structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shao-Kuan Lee, Hai-Ching Chen, Hsin-Yen Huang, Shau-Lin Shue, Cheng-Chin Lee
  • Patent number: 11342227
    Abstract: One of a source, drain or gate terminal of an upper-level transistor structure is coupled to one of a source, drain or gate terminal of a lower-level transistor structure through an asymmetrical interconnect having a lateral width that increases within a dimension parallel to a semiconductor sidewall of the upper-level transistor by a greater amount than in an orthogonal dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Lilak, Ehren Mannebach, Nafees Kabir, Patrick Morrow, Gilbert Dewey, Willy Rachmady, Anh Phan
  • Patent number: 11342355
    Abstract: Embodiments of 3D memory devices and methods for forming the same are disclosed. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a substrate, a memory stack, a channel structure, a channel local contact, a slit structure, and a staircase local contact. The memory stack includes interleaved conductive layers and dielectric layers above the substrate. The channel structure extends vertically through the memory stack. The channel local contact is above and in contact with the channel structure. The slit structure extends vertically through the memory stack. The staircase local contact is above and in contact with one of the conductive layers at a staircase structure on an edge of the memory stack. Upper ends of the channel local contact, the slit structure, and the staircase local contact are flush with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: YANGTZE MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kun Zhang, Haojie Song, Kun Bao, Zhiliang Xia
  • Patent number: 11335605
    Abstract: A method of forming a strained semiconductor device includes: forming a substrate and a MOS device on the substrate; depositing a molecular plug film structure on the MOS device, The molecular plug film structure includes at least one molecular plug film, depositing a stress film on the molecular plug film structure, and performing an annealing process. The stress applied to the MOS device by the stress film is increased by the annealing process. The structure made by the method includes: a MOS device formed on a substrate, a molecular plug film structure formed on the MOS device, the molecular plug film structure includes at least one molecular plug film, and a stress film formed on the molecular plug film structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: SHANGHAI HUALI INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Runling Li, Yanwei Zhang
  • Patent number: 11315877
    Abstract: A microelectronic device includes a stack structure, a staircase structure, conductive pad structures, and conductive contact structures. The stack structure includes vertically alternating conductive structures and insulating structures arranged in tiers. Each of the tiers individually includes one of the conductive structures and one of the insulating structures. The staircase structure has steps made up of edges of at least some of the tiers of the stack structure. The conductive pad structures are on the steps of the staircase structure and include beta phase tungsten. The conductive contact structures are on the conductive pad structures. Memory devices, electronic systems, and methods of forming microelectronic devices are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jordan D. Greenlee, John D. Hopkins, Rita J. Klein, Everett A. McTeer, Lifang Xu, Daniel Billingsley, Collin Howder
  • Patent number: 11309190
    Abstract: In a wet etching process to pattern a metal layer such as a p-metal work function layer over a dielectric layer such as a high-k gate dielectric layer, a selectivity of the wet etching solution between the metal layer and the dielectric layer is increased utilizing an inhibitor. The inhibitor includes such inhibitors as a phosphoric acid, a carboxylic acid, an amino acid, or a hydroxyl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jian-Jou Lian, Chun-Neng Lin, Chieh-Wei Chen, Tzu-Ang Chiang, Ming-Hsi Yeh
  • Patent number: 11302637
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) structure includes a dielectric layer extending along a first axis to define a length and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis to define a width. A dual-metal via is embedded in the dielectric layer. The dual-metal via includes via sidewalls surrounding a via core. An electrically conductive line extends along the first axis and on an upper surface of the dual-metal via. A side portion of the via core is co-planar with a sidewall of the electrically conductive line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Balasubramanian S. Pranatharthi Haran, Devika Sil, Takeshi Nogami
  • Patent number: 11302638
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to integration of a hybrid conductor material in power rails of a semiconductor device. An example semiconductor device generally includes an active electrical device and a power rail. The power rail is electrically coupled to the active electrical device, disposed above the active electrical device, and embedded in at least one dielectric layer. The power rail includes a first conductive layer, a barrier layer, and a second conductive layer. In certain cases, copper may be used as conductive material for the second conductive layer. The barrier layer is disposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: John Jianhong Zhu, Stanley Seungchul Song, Kern Rim
  • Patent number: 11276571
    Abstract: A photo resist layer is used to protect a dielectric layer and conductive elements embedded in the dielectric layer when patterning an etch stop layer underlying the dielectric layer. The photo resist layer may further be used to etch another dielectric layer underlying the etch stop layer, where etching the next dielectric layer exposes a contact, such as a gate contact. The bottom layer can be used to protect the conductive elements embedded in the dielectric layer from a wet etchant used to etch the etch stop layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu Shih Wang, Hong-Jie Yang, Chia-Ying Lee, Po-Nan Yeh, U-Ting Chiu, Chun-Neng Lin, Ming-Hsi Yeh, Kuo-Bin Huang
  • Patent number: 11276802
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a flexible substrate, at least one light emitting element, a cover member, a reflective member and a light transmissive member. The flexible substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and includes a flexible base member and a plurality of wiring portions disposed on a first surface side. The light emitting element is arranged on the first surface of the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the wiring portions. The cover member is arranged on the second surface of the flexible substrate and defines a through hole at a position overlapping the light emitting element in a plan view. The reflective member covers at least a part of a lower surface and at least a part of a side surface of the light emitting element. The light transmissive member covers a top surface of the light emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Motokazu Yamada
  • Patent number: 11264275
    Abstract: Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having a stack of alternating first and second levels. The first levels contain conductive material and the second levels contain insulative material. At least some of the first and second levels are configured as steps. Each of the steps has one of the second levels over an associated one of the first levels. A layer is over the steps and is spaced from the stack by an intervening insulative region. Insulative material is over the layer. Conductive interconnects extend through the insulative material, through the layer, through the intervening insulative region and to the conductive material within the first levels of the steps. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John D. Hopkins, Lifang Xu, Nancy M. Lomeli
  • Patent number: 11264539
    Abstract: A light emitting device (LED) includes an n-doped semiconductor material layer, an active region including an optically active compound semiconductor layer stack configured to emit light located on the n-doped semiconductor material layer, a p-doped semiconductor material layer located on the active region, an anode contact contacting the p-doped semiconductor material layer, a reflector overlying and electrically connected to the anode contact, and a device-side bonding pad layer located on the reflector. The p-doped semiconductor material layer includes an electrically active region that is at least partially covered by the anode contact and an inactive region that an electrical conductivity less than 30% of the electrically active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: NANOSYS, INC.
    Inventors: Max Batres, Fariba Danesh, Michael J. Cich, Zhen Chen
  • Patent number: 11264325
    Abstract: Integrated circuit (IC) structures, computing devices, and related methods are disclosed. An IC structure includes an interlayer dielectric (ILD), an interconnect, and a liner material separating the interconnect from the ILD. The interconnect includes a first end extending to or into the ILD and a second end opposite the first end. A second portion of the interconnect extending from the second end to a first portion of the interconnect proximate to the first end does not include the liner material thereon. A method of manufacturing an IC structure includes removing an ILD from between interconnects, applying a conformal hermetic liner, applying a carbon hard mask (CHM) between the interconnects, removing a portion of the CHM, removing the conformal hermetic liner to a remaining CHM, and removing the exposed portion of the liner material to the remaining CHM to expose the second portion of the interconnects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Manish Chandhok, Richard Schenker, Tristan Tronic
  • Patent number: 11257712
    Abstract: A method includes providing a structure that includes a semiconductor substrate, an epitaxial source/drain feature over the semiconductor substrate, and one or more dielectric layers over the epitaxial source/drain feature; etching a hole into the one or more dielectric layer to expose a portion of the epitaxial source/drain feature; forming a silicide layer over the portion of the epitaxial source/drain feature; forming a conductive barrier layer over the silicide layer; and applying a plasma cleaning process to at least the conductive barrier layer, wherein the plasma cleaning process uses a gas mixture including N2 gas and H2 gas and is performed at a temperature that is at least 300° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng-Wei Chang, Yu-Ming Huang, Ethan Tseng, Ken-Yu Chang, Yi-Ying Liu
  • Patent number: 11244923
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. For example, various aspects of this disclosure provide a semiconductor device having an ultra-thin substrate, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having an ultra-thin substrate. As a non-limiting example, a substrate structure comprising a carrier, an adhesive layer formed on the carrier, and an ultra-thin substrate formed on the adhesive layer may be received and/or formed, components may then be mounted to the ultra-thin substrate and encapsulated, and the carrier and adhesive layer may then be removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: AMKOR TECHNOLOGY SINGAPORE HOLDING PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Ronald Huemoeller
  • Patent number: 11244943
    Abstract: A monolithic three-dimensional integrated circuit may include multiple transistor levels separated by one or more levels of metallization. An upper level transistor structure may include a monocrystalline channel material over a bottom gate stack. The channel material and the gate stack materials may be formed on a donor substrate at any suitable temperature, and subsequently transferred from the donor substrate to a host substrate that includes lower-level circuitry. The upper-level transistor may be patterned from the transferred layers so that the gate electrode includes one or more bonding layers. Source and drain material may be patterned from a source and drain material layer that was transferred from the donor substrate along with the channel material, or source and drain material may be grown at low temperatures from the transferred channel material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Ying Huang, Gilbert Dewey, Ashish Agrawal, Kimin Jun, Willy Rachmady, Zachary Geiger, Cory Bomberger, Ryan Keech, Koustav Ganguly, Anand Murthy, Jack Kavalieros
  • Patent number: 11244903
    Abstract: Described are methods for forming a tungsten conductive structure over a substrate, such as a semiconductor substrate. Described examples include forming a silicon-containing material, such as a doped silicon-containing material, over a supporting structure. The silicon-containing material is then subsequently converted to a tungsten seed material containing the dopant material. A tungsten fill material of lower resistance will then be formed over the tungsten seed material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jordan D. Greenlee, Christian George Emor, Travis Rampton, Everett Allen McTeer, Rita J. Klein
  • Patent number: 11239294
    Abstract: A display device including a partition wall disposed on a substrate between a first electrode and a second electrode. The partition wall has an opening. A light emitting layer is disposed in the opening. An auxiliary layer having lyophobicity is disposed between the partition wall and the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyung Guen Yoon, Suk Hoon Kang, Hee Ra Kim, Su Ji Park, Beom-Soo Shin, Hong Yeon Lee
  • Patent number: 11233213
    Abstract: An organic light emitting display device includes a substrate with a first emitting region adjacent a second emitting region, a first anode in the first emitting region, a first organic light emitting layer on the first anode, a second anode in the second emitting region, and a second organic light emitting layer on a part of the first anode and the second anode. The second organic light emitting layer includes a material different from the first organic light emitting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang Hyun Choi, Young Nam Yun