Patents Examined by Wensing Kuo
  • Patent number: 8698220
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device having a memory element, and which is manufactured by a simplified manufacturing process. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes, forming a first insulating film to cover a first semiconductor film and a second semiconductor film; forming a first conductive film and a second conductive film over the first semiconductor film and the second semiconductor film, respectively, with the first insulating film interposed therebetween; forming a second insulating film to cover the first conductive film; forming a third conductive film selectively over the first conductive film which is formed over the first semiconductor film, with the second insulating film interposed therebetween, and doping the first semiconductor film with an impurity element with the third conductive film serving as a mask and doping the second semiconductor film with the impurity element through the second conductive film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshinobu Asami
  • Patent number: 8698194
    Abstract: A first annular isolation trench is formed in a periphery of an element region, and a second annular isolation trench is formed around the first annular isolation trench with a predetermined distance provided from the first annular isolation trench, and a semiconductor layer between the first annular isolation trench and the second annular isolation trench is separated into a plurality of portions by a plurality of linear isolation trenches formed in the semiconductor layer between the first annular isolation trench and the second annular isolation trench, and the semiconductor layer (source-side isolation region) which opposes a p-type channel layer end portion and is located between the first annular isolation trench and the second annular isolation trench is separated from other semiconductor layers (drain-side isolation regions) by the linear isolation trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuo Nagase, Junichi Sakano
  • Patent number: 8691681
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a semiconductor device having a metal gate. A substrate is provided and a gate dielectric and a work function metal layer are formed thereon, wherein the work function metal layer is on the gate dielectric layer. Then, a top barrier layer is formed on the work function metal layer. The step of forming the top barrier layer includes increasing a concentration of a boundary protection material in the top barrier layer. Lastly, a metal layer is formed on the top barrier layer. The present invention further provides a semiconductor device having a metal gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chi-Mao Hsu, Hsin-Fu Huang, Chin-Fu Lin, Min-Chuan Tsai, Wei-Yu Chen, Chien-Hao Chen
  • Patent number: 8686529
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a dual junction photodiode semiconductor devices with improved wavelength sensitivity. The photodiode employs a high quality n-type layer with relatively lower doping concentration and enables high minority carrier lifetime and high quantum efficiency with improved responsivity at multiple wavelengths. In one embodiment, the photodiode comprises a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a first impurity region of a second conductivity type formed epitaxially in the semiconductor substrate, a second impurity region of the first conductivity type shallowly formed in the epitaxially formed first impurity region, a first PN junction formed between the epitaxially formed first impurity region and the second impurity region, a second PN junction formed between the semiconductor substrate and the epitaxially formed first impurity region, and at least one passivated V-groove etched into the epitaxially formed first impurity region and the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: OSI Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Steven Bui, Narayan Dass Taneja, Manoocher Mansouri Aliabadi
  • Patent number: 8685822
    Abstract: A semiconductor component that includes gate electrodes and shield electrodes and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor component. A semiconductor material has a device region, a gate contact region, a termination region, and a drain contact region. One or more device trenches is formed in the device region and one or more termination trenches is formed in the edge termination region. Shielding electrodes are formed in portions of the device trenches that are adjacent their floors. A gate dielectric material is formed on the sidewalls of the trenches in the device region and gate electrodes are formed over and electrically isolated from the shielding electrodes. The gate electrodes in the trenches in the device region are connected to the gate electrodes in the trenches in the gate contact region. The shielding electrodes in the trenches in the device region are connected to the shielding electrodes in the termination region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Peter A. Burke, Duane B. Barber, Brian Pratt
  • Patent number: 8682043
    Abstract: A method of obtaining and merging volumetric data and surface data of a patient's dentition for use in designing and/or manufacturing a prosthodontic component, such as a drill guide, an implant, or other prosthodontic appliance, for example. A plurality of radio-opaque markers are temporarily secured directly to a patient's dentition. Surface data is then obtained, such as by scanning the patient's dentition with the markers or alternatively, by taking an impression of the patient's dentition with the markers, forming a physical model that includes analogs of the markers, and scanning the physical model. Either before or after the surface data is obtained, an anatomical, volumetric image data set of the patient's dentition is obtained via a volumetric scan of the patient's dentition with the markers appearing in the image data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Zimmer Dental, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean B. Cahill, Shaun (Shahram) Zamani, Suneel Ranga Sai Battula, Steve T. Pelote
  • Patent number: 8679928
    Abstract: The present invention includes methods for stressing transistor channels of semiconductor device structures. Such methods include the formation of so-called near-surface “nanocavities” adjacent to the source/drain regions, forming extensions of the source/drain regions adjacent to and including the nanocavities, and implanting matter of a type that will expand or contract the volume of the nanocavities, depending respectively upon whether compressive strain is desirable in transistor channels between the nanocavities, as in PMOS field effect transistors, or tensile strain is wanted in transistor channels, as in NMOS field effect transistors, to enhance carrier mobility and transistor speed. Semiconductor device structures and semiconductor devices including these features are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Arup Bhattacharyya, Leonard Forbes, Paul A. Farrar
  • Patent number: 8680527
    Abstract: A photomask includes; a source electrode pattern including; a first electrode portion which extends in a first direction, a second electrode portion which extends in the first direction and is substantially parallel to the first electrode portion, and a third electrode portion which extends from a first end of the first electrode portion to a first end of the second electrode portion and is rounded with a first curvature, a drain electrode pattern which extends in the first direction and is disposed between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, wherein an end of the drain electrode pattern is rounded to correspond to the third electrode portion; and a channel region pattern which is disposed between the source electrode pattern and the drain electrode pattern, wherein a center location of the first curvature and a center location of the rounded portion of the end of the drain electrode pattern are the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yeon-Ju Kim, Sung-Jae Moon, Yun-Jung Cho, Bum-Ki Baek, Kwang-Hoon Lee, Byoung-Sun Na, Sung-Hoon Yang, Yoon-Jang Kim, Eun Cho
  • Patent number: 8674475
    Abstract: Provided are an antifuse and methods of operating and manufacturing the same. The antifuse may include first and second conductors separate from each other; a dielectric layer for an antifuse between the first and second conductors; and a diffusion layer between one of the first and second conductors and the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Deok-kee Kim, Jung-hun Sung, Sang-moo Choi, Soo-jung Hwang
  • Patent number: 8674383
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a conductive substrate having a first substrate surface and comprising a conductive material, a protrusion formed on the conductive substrate, wherein the protrusion is defined in part by a first protrusion surface that is not parallel to the first substrate surface, and light emission layers disposed over the first protrusion surface. The light emission layers can emit light when an electric field is applied across the light emission layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: SiPhoton Inc.
    Inventor: Shaoher X. Pan
  • Patent number: 8664731
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a micro-electromechanical device can include a substrate, a beam, and an isolation joint. The beam can be suspended relative to a surface of the substrate. The isolation joint can be between a first portion and a second portion of the beam, and can have a non-linear shape. In another embodiment, a micro-electromechanical device can include a substrate, a beam, and an isolation joint. The beam can be suspended relative to a surface of the substrate. The isolation joint can be between a first portion and a second portion of the beam. The isolation joint can have a first portion, a second portion, and a bridge portion between the first portion and the second portion. The first and second portions of the isolation joint can each have a seam and a void, while the bridge portion can be solid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kionix, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles W. Blackmer, Scott G. Adams, Andrew S. Hocking, Kristin J. Lynch, Ashish A. Shah
  • Patent number: 8659135
    Abstract: A semiconductor stack and a semiconductor base device with a wiring substrate and an intermediate wiring board for a semiconductor device stack is disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor chip is arranged between the intermediate wiring board and the wiring substrate, which is electrically connected by way of the wiring substrate on the one hand to external contacts on the underside of the wiring substrate and on the other hand to contact terminal areas in the edge regions of the wiring substrate. The intermediate wiring board has angled-away external flat conductors, which are electrically connected in the contact terminal areas of the wiring board. Furthermore, on the upper side of the intermediate wiring board, arranged on the free ends of the internal flat conductors are external contact terminal areas, which correspond in size and arrangement to external contacts of a semiconductor device to be stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Michael Bauer, Ulrich Bachmaier, Robert-Christian Hagen, Jens Pohl, Rainer Steiner, Hermann Vllsmeler, Holger Woerner, Bernhard Zuhr
  • Patent number: 8658497
    Abstract: A method of forming an NVM cell and a logic transistor uses a semiconductor substrate. A metal select gate of the NVM cell is formed over a high-k dielectric as is metal logic gate of a logic transistor. The logic transistor is formed, including forming source/drains, while the metal select gate of the NVM cell is formed. The logic transistor is protected while the NVM cell is then formed including forming a charge storage region using metal nanocrystals and a metal control gate over a portion of the metal select gate and a portion of the charge storage region over the substrate. The charge storage region is etched to be aligned to the metal control gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehul D. Shroff, Mark D. Hall
  • Patent number: 8653611
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate insulation layer formed over a substrate and having a high dielectric constant, a gate electrode formed over the gate insulation layer and a work function control layer formed between the substrate and the gate insulation layer and inducing a work function shift of the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Yun-Hyuck Ji, Tae-Yoon Kim, Seung-Mi Lee, Woo-Young Park
  • Patent number: 8653589
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a plurality of trench MOSFET and a plurality of trench Schottky rectifier. The integrated circuit further comprises: tilt-angle implanted body dopant regions surrounding a lower portion of all trenched gates sidewalls for reducing Qgd; a source dopant region disposed below trench bottoms of all trenched gates for functioning as a current path for preventing a resistance increased caused by the tilt-angle implanted body dopant regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Force Mos Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Fu-Yuan Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8642367
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a thin film transistor and a manufacturing method of a display panel, and include forming a gate line including a gate electrode on a substrate, forming a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode, forming an intrinsic semiconductor on the gate insulating layer, forming an extrinsic semiconductor on the intrinsic semiconductor, forming a data line including a source electrode and a drain electrode on the extrinsic semiconductor, and plasma-treating a portion of the extrinsic semiconductor between the source electrode and the drain electrode to form a protection member and ohmic contacts on respective sides of the protection member. Accordingly, the process for etching the extrinsic semiconductor and forming an inorganic insulating layer for protecting the intrinsic semiconductor may be omitted such that the manufacturing process of the display panel may be simplified, manufacturing cost may be reduced, and productivity may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Gwang Jeong, Young-Wook Lee, Sang-Gab Kim, Woo-Geun Lee, Min-Seok Oh, Jang-Soo Kim, Kap-Soo Yoon, Shin-Il Choi, Hong-Kee Chin, Seung-Ha Choi, Seung-Hwan Shim, Sung-Hoon Yang, Ki-Hun Jeong
  • Patent number: 8637908
    Abstract: A method includes depositing a dummy fill material over exposed portions of a substrate and a gate stack disposed on the substrate, removing portions of the dummy fill material to expose portions of the substrate, forming a layer of spacer material over the exposed portions of the substrate, the dummy fill material and the gate stack, removing portions of the layer of spacer material to expose portions of the substrate and the dummy fill material, depositing a dielectric layer over the exposed portions of the spacer material, the substrate, and the gate stack, removing portions of the dielectric layer to expose portions of the spacer material, removing exposed portions of the spacer material to expose portions of the substrate and define at least one cavity in the dielectric layer, and depositing a conductive material in the at least one cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Su Chen Fan, David V. Horak, Sivananda K. Kanakasabapathy
  • Patent number: 8637905
    Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductor device and a fabrication method thereof. A semiconductor device according to an aspect of the invention comprising: a semiconductor layer on a substrate; an isolation layer on the semiconductor layer; a source and a drain which are in contact with the semiconductor layer, each of the source and the drain comprises multiple fingers, and the multiple fingers of the source intersect the multiple fingers of the drain; and a gate on the isolation layer, the gate is located between the source and the drain and comprises a closed ring structure which encircles the multiple fingers of the source and the drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Dynax Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Naiqian Zhang
  • Patent number: 8618672
    Abstract: This disclosure related to a stacked chip package structure having a sloped dam structure located on the substrate and beside the chip stack. The dam structure can facilitate the dispensing process of the underfill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yu-Wei Huang, Tsung-Fu Yang
  • Patent number: 8618589
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device in which the potential of a signal line, which is obtained before a pixel has an operating period, is fixed to an intermediate potential between a first power-supply potential and a second power-supply potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Mabuchi, Toshifumi Wakano, Ken Koseki