Patents Examined by Walter H Swanson
  • Patent number: 11367618
    Abstract: A semiconductor patterning process includes the following steps. A substrate is provided, wherein the substrate has a first region, a second region, and a third region, and the second region is located between the first region and the third region. A plurality of initial mask patterns are formed on the substrate. A first mask material layer is conformally formed on the substrate. A first mask pattern is formed above at least two adjacent initial mask patterns in the second region and on the first mask material layer in between, and a second mask pattern is formed on the first mask material layer on sidewalls of remaining initial mask patterns. A portion of the first mask material layer is removed using the first mask pattern and the second mask pattern as a mask to form a final mask pattern on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Zih-Song Wang
  • Patent number: 11362079
    Abstract: A method of forming a bonded assembly includes providing a first semiconductor die containing a first substrate, first semiconductor devices, first dielectric material layers overlying the first semiconductor devices, and first metal interconnect structures, providing a second semiconductor die containing a second substrate, second semiconductor devices, second dielectric material layers overlying the second semiconductor devices, and second metal interconnect structures, depositing a manganese layer on a top surface of the first dielectric material layers, disposing the second semiconductor die on the manganese layer such that a surface of the second dielectric material layers contacts the manganese layer, and performing a bonding anneal to bond the first semiconductor die to the second semiconductor die and to convert the manganese layer into a manganese-containing oxide layer, such that the manganese-containing oxide layer is bonded to the first dielectric material layers and the second dielectric material
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Chen Wu, Peter Rabkin, Masaaki Higashitani
  • Patent number: 11361965
    Abstract: Methods of in situ fabrication and formation of horizontal nanowires for a semiconductor device employ non-catalytic selective area epitaxial growth to selectively grow a semiconductor material in a selective area opening of predefined asymmetrical geometry. The selective area opening is defined in a dielectric layer to expose a semiconductor layer underlying the dielectric layer. The non-catalytic selective area epitaxial growth is performed at a growth temperature sufficient to also in situ form a linear stress crack of nanoscale width that is nucleated from a location in a vicinity of the selective area opening and that propagates in a uniform direction along a crystal plane of the semiconductor layer in both the semiconductor layer and the dielectric layer as a linear nanogap template. The semiconductor material is further selectively grown to fill the linear nanogap template to in situ form the nanowire that is uniformly linear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Danny M. Kim, Rongming Chu, Yu Cao, Thaddeus D. Ladd
  • Patent number: 11348913
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a first region and a second region, memory transistors on the first region, a first interconnection layer on the memory transistors and including first interconnection lines, and a second interconnection layer on the first interconnection layer and including second interconnection lines. The second interconnection lines on the first region include a first line extending along a first direction and spaced from the second region by a first distance along the first direction, and a second line extending along the first direction, spaced from the first line along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and having a width smaller than that of the first line. The first line includes a protrusion extending along a third direction toward the substrate. The protrusion is spaced from the second region by a second distance along the first direction greater than the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lakgyo Jeong, Seolun Yang, Yongrae Cho, Hee Bum Hong
  • Patent number: 11342229
    Abstract: A method for forming an electrical connection structure is provided. The method includes forming a first metal material in an opening of a dielectric layer. The first metal material includes a plurality of grains. The method also includes forming a second metal material over the first metal material. The method also includes annealing the second metal material so that the second metal material diffuses along grain boundaries of the grains of the first metal material. The method also includes removing the second metal material from the upper surface of the first metal material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shih-Chuan Chiu, Jia-Chuan You, Chia-Hao Chang, Chun-Yuan Chen, Tien-Lu Lin, Yu-Ming Lin, Chih-Hao Wang
  • Patent number: 11329126
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of fabricating a superjunction semiconductor device includes implanting first ions into a first region of a first epitaxial layer using a first implanting apparatus and nominal implant conditions to produce a first region in the first epitaxial layer comprising the first ions and a first implant characteristic and implanting second ions into a second region of the first epitaxial layer, the second region being laterally spaced apart from the first region, using second nominal implanting conditions estimated to produce a second region in the first epitaxial layer having the second ions and a second implant characteristic that lies within an acceptable maximum difference of the first implant characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Armin Tilke, Hans Weber, Christian Fachmann, Roman Knoefler, Gabor Mezoesi, Manfred Pippan, Thomas Rupp, Michael Treu, Armin Willmeroth
  • Patent number: 11327395
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a phase shift mask includes preparing a transmissive substrate on which a first mask region and a second mask region surrounding the first mask region are defined. In the first mask region, main patterns are formed having a first pitch in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each of the main patterns has a first area. In at least one row, assist patterns are formed at the first pitch to surround the main patterns. Each of the assist patterns has a second area less than the first area. In the second mask region, dummy patterns are formed in a plurality of rows. The dummy patterns surround the assist patterns at the first pitch. Each of the dummy patterns has a third area greater than the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae-hee Kim, Chan Hwang
  • Patent number: 11322501
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a mold stack pattern including a plurality of openings in an upper portion of a substrate and including a mold layer and a supporter layer which are stacked; forming a bottom electrode layer filling the plurality of the openings and covering the supporter layer; forming a filler portion disposed inside the plurality of the openings, a barrier portion extended upwardly from the filler portion, and an electrode cutting portion exposing a surface of the supporter layer by selectively etching the bottom electrode layer; forming a supporter by using the barrier portion as an etch barrier and etching the supporter layer exposed by the electrode cutting portion; selectively removing the barrier portion to form a hybrid pillar-type bottom electrode disposed inside the plurality of the openings; and removing the mold layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jeong-Yeop Lee, Dong-Su Park, Jong-Bum Park, Sang-Do Lee, Jae-Min Lee, Kee-Jeung Lee, Jun-Soo Jang
  • Patent number: 11315887
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate defined with a peripheral region and an array area at least partially surrounded by the peripheral region, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of fins protruding from the substrate and disposed in the array area, and a first elongated member protruding from the substrate and at least partially surrounding the plurality of fins; an insulating layer disposed over the plurality of fins and the first elongated member; a capping layer disposed over the insulating layer; and an isolation surrounding the plurality of fins, the first elongated member, the insulating layer and the capping layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ying-Cheng Chuang, Chung-Lin Huang
  • Patent number: 11315788
    Abstract: A process of realizing a silicon micropattern having a large aspect ratio in a semiconductor-manufacturing process, and a novel wet etching method that includes treating an organic carbon film layer so that a hydrofluoric-acid-resistant material is selectively attached to the organic carbon film layer and then wet etching the same using an aqueous solution containing hydrofluoric acid, thus forming a pattern, are proposed. In the method of forming the pattern by wet etching, etching is performed so that an active region having a depth of several ?m in an object to be etched is not damaged when a pattern having a small CD is formed, thereby exhibiting an effect of providing a method of forming a micropattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: YOUNG CHANG CHEMICAL CO., LTD
    Inventors: Su Jin Lee, Gi Hong Kim, Seung Hun Lee
  • Patent number: 11309184
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a formation method thereof are disclosed. The formation method includes: providing a base, wherein a first mandrel layer and a first mask layer located on the first mandrel layer are formed on the base, and openings exposing the first mandrel layer are formed in the first mask layer; forming a second mandrel layer covering the first mask layer, wherein the second mandrel layer also fills the openings; forming first trenches running through the second mandrel layer, the first mask layer and the first mandrel layer, wherein the side walls of the first trenches expose the second mandrel layer in the openings; forming side wall layers on the side walls of the first trenches; and etching to remove the second mandrel layer and the first mandrel layer below the positions of the openings by taking the side wall layers as masks to form second trenches running through the first mandrel layer, wherein the second trenches and the first trenches are isolated by the side wall layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventors: Wang Wei, Su Bo, Sun Linlin, He Qiyang
  • Patent number: 11309182
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventors: Zhao Junhong, Zhao Hai
  • Patent number: 11309183
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a forming method thereof are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventor: Jin Jisong
  • Patent number: 11309396
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first device formed over a substrate. The first device includes a first gate stack encircling a first nanostructure, and the first device is a logic circuit device. The semiconductor device includes a second device formed over the first device. The second device includes a second gate stack encircling a second nanostructure, and the second device is a static random access memory (SRAM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei-Hao Wu, Zhi-Chang Lin, Ting-Hung Hsu, Kuan-Lun Cheng
  • Patent number: 11302792
    Abstract: A device includes a nanowire, a gate dielectric layer, a gate electrode, a gate pickup metal layer, and a gate contact. The nanowire extends in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of a substrate. The gate dielectric layer laterally surrounds the nanowire. The gate electrode laterally surrounds the gate dielectric layer. The gate pickup metal layer is in contact with a bottom surface of the gate electrode and extends laterally past opposite sidewalls of the gate electrode. The gate contact is in contact with the gate pickup metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yung-Chih Wang, Yu-Chieh Liao, Tai-I Yang, Hsin-Ping Chen
  • Patent number: 11296131
    Abstract: There is provided a peeling method capable of preventing a damage to a layer to be peeled. Thus, not only a layer to be peeled having a small area but also a layer to be peeled having a large area can be peeled over the entire surface at a high yield. Processing for partially reducing contact property between a first material layer (11) and a second material layer (12) (laser light irradiation, pressure application, or the like) is performed before peeling, and then peeling is conducted by physical means. Therefore, sufficient separation can be easily conducted in an inner portion of the second material layer (12) or an interface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takayama, Junya Maruyama, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11289419
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing metallic interconnects for an integrated circuit includes forming an interconnect layout including at least one line including a non-diffusing material, forming a diffusing barrier layer on the line, forming an opening extending completely through the diffusing barrier layer and exposing a portion of the line, depositing a diffusing layer on the diffusing barrier layer such that a portion of the diffusing layer contacts the portion of the line, and thermally reacting the diffusing layer to form the metallic interconnects. Thermally reacting the diffusing layer chemically diffuses a material of the diffusing layer into the at least one line and causes at least one crystalline grain to grow along a length of the at least one line from at least one nucleation site defined at an interface between the portions of the diffusing layer and the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jorge A. Kittl, Ganesh Hegde, Harsono Simka
  • Patent number: 11289407
    Abstract: A package structure is provided. The package structure includes a die, a lead frame, and a conductive glue. The lead frame includes a die pad and a retaining wall structure. The die pad is configured to support the die, and the retaining wall structure surrounds the die. The conductive glue is disposed between the die and the lead frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Chih-Yen Chen, Chun-Yi Wu
  • Patent number: 11289581
    Abstract: An insulated gate field effect transistor with (a) a base having source/drain regions, a channel forming region, a gate insulating film formed on the channel forming region, an insulating layer covering the source/drain regions, and a gate electrode formation opening provided in a partial portion of the insulating layer above the channel forming region; (b) a gate electrode formed by burying a conducive material layer in the gate electrode formation opening; (c) a first interlayer insulating layer formed on the insulating layer and the gate electrode and containing no oxygen atom as a constituent element; and (d) a second interlayer insulating layer on the first interlayer insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Fumiaki Okazaki
  • Patent number: 11270885
    Abstract: A hardmask structure including a plurality of hardmask layers is formed on a target layer in a first area and a second area, a first photoresist pattern in the first area and a second photoresist pattern in the second area are formed, a reversible hardmask pattern including a plurality of openings is formed by transferring shapes of the first and second photoresist patterns to a reversible hardmask layer that is one of the plurality of hardmask layers, a gap-fill hardmask pattern is formed by filling some of the plurality of openings formed in the first area with a gap-fill hardmask pattern material, and a feature pattern is formed in the target layer by transferring a shape of the gap-fill hardmask pattern to the target layer in the first area and a shape of the reversible hardmask pattern to the target layer in the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dongjun Lee, Keunnam Kim, Daehyoun Kim, Taejin Park, Sunghee Han