Patents by Inventor Alfred Grill

Alfred Grill has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9558935
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide hydrogen-free dielectric films and methods of fabrication. A hydrogen-free precursor, such as tetraisocyanatosilane, and hydrogen-free reactants, such as nitrogen, oxygen (O2/O3) and nitrous oxide are used with chemical vapor deposition processes (PECVD, thermal CVD, SACVD, HDP CVD, and PE and Thermal ALD) to create hydrogen-free dielectric films. In some embodiments, there are multilayer dielectric films with sublayers of various materials such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride. In embodiments, the hydrogen-free reactants may include Tetra Isocyanato Silane, along with a hydrogen-free gas including, but not limited to, N2, O2, O3, N2O, CO2, CO and a combination thereof of these H-Free gases. Plasma may be used to enhance the reaction between the TICS and the other H-free gasses. The plasma may be controlled during film deposition to achieve variable density within each sublayer of the films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donald Francis Canaperi, Alfred Grill, Sanjay C. Mehta, Son Van Nguyen, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga Shobha, Matthew T. Shoudy
  • Publication number: 20170002469
    Abstract: A deposition apparatus for depositing a material on a substrate is provided. The deposition apparatus has a processing chamber defining a processing space in which the substrate is arranged, an ultraviolet radiation assembly configured to emit ultraviolet radiation and a microwave radiation assembly configured to emit microwave radiation into an excitation space that can be the same as the processing space, and a gas feed assembly configured to feed a precursor gas into the processing space and a reactive gas into the excitation space. The ultraviolet radiation assembly and the microwave radiation assembly are operated in combination to excite the reactive gas in the excitation space. The material is deposited on the substrate from the reaction of the excited reactive gas and the precursor gas. A method for using the deposition apparatus to deposit a material on a substrate is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Son V. Nguyen, Deepika Priyadarshini
  • Publication number: 20170005040
    Abstract: An electrical device including an opening in a low-k dielectric material, and a copper including structure present within the opening for transmitting electrical current. A liner is present between the opening and the copper including structure. The liner includes a superlattice structure comprised of a metal oxide layer, a metal layer present on the metal oxide layer, and a metal nitride layer that is present on the metal layer. A first layer of the superlattice structure that is in direct contact with the low-k dielectric material is one of said metal oxide layer and a final layer of the superlattice structure that is in direct contact with the copper including structure is one of the metal nitride layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Donald F. Canaperi, Daniel C. Edelstein, Alfred Grill, Son V. Nguyen, Takeshi Nogami, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga Shobha
  • Patent number: 9536733
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide hydrogen-free dielectric films and methods of fabrication. A hydrogen-free precursor, such as tetraisocyanatosilane, and hydrogen-free reactants, such as nitrogen, oxygen (O2/O3) and nitrous oxide are used with chemical vapor deposition processes (PECVD, thermal CVD, SACVD, HDP CVD, and PE and Thermal ALD) to create hydrogen-free dielectric films. In some embodiments, there are multilayer dielectric films with sublayers of various materials such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride. In embodiments, the hydrogen-free reactants may include Tetra Isocyanato Silane, along with a hydrogen-free gas including, but not limited to, N2, O2, O3, N2O, CO2, CO and a combination thereof of these H-Free gases. Plasma may be used to enhance the reaction between the TICS and the other H-free gasses. The plasma may be controlled during film deposition to achieve variable density within each sublayer of the films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donald Francis Canaperi, Alfred Grill, Sanjay C. Mehta, Son Van Nguyen, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga Shobha, Matthew T. Shoudy
  • Patent number: 9502288
    Abstract: An interconnect structure is provided that has improved electromigration resistance as well as methods of forming such an interconnect structure. The interconnect structure includes a composite M-MOx cap located at least on the upper surface of the Cu-containing material within the at least one opening. The composite M-MOx cap includes an upper region that is composed of the metal having a higher affinity for oxygen than copper and copper oxide and a lower region that is composed of a non-stoichiometric oxide of said metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Son Van Nguyen, Alfred Grill, Thomas J. Haigh, Jr., Hosadurga Shobha, Tuan A. Vo
  • Patent number: 9484403
    Abstract: A semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure that includes a cap layer composed of a boron-rich compound or doped boron nitride located between a top semiconductor layer and a buried insulator layer is provided. The cap layer forms a conductive path between the top semiconductor layer and the buried insulator layer in the SOI structure to dissipate total ionizing dose (TID) accumulated charges, thus advantageously mitigating TID effects in fully depleted SOI transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Deborah A. Neumayer, Kenneth P. Rodbell
  • Patent number: 9472450
    Abstract: Interconnect structures including a graphene cap located on exposed surfaces of a copper structure are provided. In some embodiments, the graphene cap is located only atop the uppermost surface of the copper structure, while in other embodiments the graphene cap is located along vertical sidewalls and atop the uppermost surface of the copper structure. The copper structure is located within a dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Griselda Bonilla, Christos D. Dimitrakopoulos, Alfred Grill, James B. Hannon, Qinghuang Lin, Deborah A. Neumayer, Satoshi Oida, John A. Ott, Dirk Pfeiffer
  • Patent number: 9472503
    Abstract: An electrical device including an opening in a low-k dielectric material, and a copper including structure present within the opening for transmitting electrical current. A liner is present between the opening and the copper including structure. The liner includes a superlattice structure comprised of a metal oxide layer, a metal layer present on the metal oxide layer, and a metal nitride layer that is present on the metal layer. A first layer of the superlattice structure that is in direct contact with the low-k dielectric material is one of said metal oxide layer and a final layer of the superlattice structure that is in direct contact with the copper including structure is one of the metal nitride layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald F. Canaperi, Daniel C. Edelstein, Alfred Grill, Son V. Nguyen, Takeshi Nogami, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga Shobha
  • Publication number: 20160276280
    Abstract: Compositions of matter, compounds, articles of manufacture and processes to reduce or substantially eliminate EM and/or stress migration, and/or TDDB in copper interconnects in microelectronic devices and circuits, especially a metal liner around copper interconnects comprise an ultra thin layer or layers of Mn alloys containing at least one of W and/or Co on the metal liner. This novel alloy provides EM and/or stress migration resistance, and/or TDDB resistance in these copper interconnects, comparable to thicker layers of other alloys found in substantially larger circuits and allows the miniaturization of the circuit without having to use thicker EM and/or TDDB resistant alloys previously used thereby enhancing the miniaturization, i.e., these novel alloy layers can be miniaturized along with the circuit and provide substantially the same EM and/or TDDB resistance as thicker layers of different alloy materials previously used that lose some of their EM and/or TDDB resistance when used as thinner layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: DANIEL EDELSTEIN, Alfred Grill, Seth L. Knupp, Son Nguyen, Takeshi Nogami, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, Hosadurga K. Shobha, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Publication number: 20160276216
    Abstract: Compositions of matter, compounds, articles of manufacture and processes to reduce or substantially eliminate EM and/or stress migration, and/or TDDB in copper interconnects in microelectronic devices and circuits, especially a metal liner around copper interconnects comprise an ultra thin layer or layers of Mn alloys containing at least one of W and/or Co on the metal liner. This novel alloy provides EM and/or stress migration resistance, and/or TDDB resistance in these copper interconnects, comparable to thicker layers of other alloys found in substantially larger circuits and allows the miniaturization of the circuit without having to use thicker EM and/or TDDB resistant alloys previously used thereby enhancing the miniaturization, i.e., these novel alloy layers can be miniaturized along with the circuit and provide substantially the same EM and/or TDDB resistance as thicker layers of different alloy materials previously used that lose some of their EM and/or TDDB resistance when used as thinner layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: DANIEL EDELSTEIN, Alfred Grill, Seth L. Knupp, Son Nguyen, Takeshi Nogami, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, Hosadurga K. Shobha, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Patent number: 9449812
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide hydrogen-free dielectric films and methods of fabrication. A hydrogen-free precursor, such as tetraisocyanatosilane, and hydrogen-free reactants, such as nitrogen, oxygen (O2/O3) and nitrous oxide are used with chemical vapor deposition processes (PECVD, thermal CVD, SACVD, HDP CVD, and PE and Thermal ALD) to create hydrogen-free dielectric films. In some embodiments, there are multilayer dielectric films with sublayers of various materials such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride. In embodiments, the hydrogen-free reactants may include Tetra Isocyanato Silane, along with a hydrogen-free gas including, but not limited to, N2, O2, O3, N2O, CO2, CO and a combination thereof of these H-Free gases. Plasma may be used to enhance the reaction between the TICS and the other H-free gasses. The plasma may be controlled during film deposition to achieve variable density within each sublayer of the films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donald Francis Canaperi, Alfred Grill, Sanjay C. Mehta, Son Van Nguyen, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga Shobha, Matthew T. Shoudy
  • Publication number: 20160268160
    Abstract: Compositions of matter, compounds, articles of manufacture and processes to reduce or substantially eliminate EM and/or stress migration, and/or TDDB in copper interconnects in microelectronic devices and circuits, especially a metal liner around copper interconnects comprise an ultra thin layer or layers of Mn alloys containing at least one of W and/or Co on the metal liner. This novel alloy provides EM and/or stress migration resistance, and/or TDDB resistance in these copper interconnects, comparable to thicker layers of other alloys found in substantially larger circuits and allows the miniaturization of the circuit without having to use thicker EM and/or TDDB resistant alloys previously used thereby enhancing the miniaturization, i.e., these novel alloy layers can be miniaturized along with the circuit and provide substantially the same EM and/or TDDB resistance as thicker layers of different alloy materials previously used that lose some of their EM and/or TDDB resistance when used as thinner layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: DANIEL EDELSTEIN, Alfred Grill, Seth L. Knupp, Son Nguyen, Takeshi Nogami, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, Hosadurga K. Shobha, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Patent number: 9435031
    Abstract: A deposition apparatus for depositing a material on a substrate is provided. The deposition apparatus has a processing chamber defining a processing space in which the substrate is arranged, an ultraviolet radiation assembly configured to emit ultraviolet radiation and a microwave radiation assembly configured to emit microwave radiation into an excitation space that can be the same as the processing space, and a gas feed assembly configured to feed a precursor gas into the processing space and a reactive gas into the excitation space. The ultraviolet radiation assembly and the microwave radiation assembly are operated in combination to excite the reactive gas in the excitation space. The material is deposited on the substrate from the reaction of the excited reactive gas and the precursor gas. A method for using the deposition apparatus to deposit a material on a substrate is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Son V. Nguyen, Deepika Priyadarshini
  • Patent number: 9431520
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures including parallel graphene nanoribbons or carbon nanotubes oriented along crystallographic directions are provided from a template of silicon carbide (SiC) fins or nanowires. The SiC fins or nanowires are first provided and then graphene nanoribbons or carbon nanotubes are formed on the exposed surfaces of the fin or the nanowires by annealing. In embodiments in which closed carbon nanotubes are formed, the nanowires are suspended prior to annealing. The location, orientation and chirality of the graphene nanoribbons and the carbon nanotubes that are provided are determined by the corresponding silicon carbide fins and nanowires from which they are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Guy M. Cohen, Christos D. Dimitrakopoulos, Alfred Grill
  • Publication number: 20160225853
    Abstract: A semiconductor-carbon alloy layer is formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, which may be a commercially available semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate. The semiconductor-carbon alloy layer is converted into at least one graphene layer during a high temperature anneal, during which the semiconductor material on the surface of the semiconductor-carbon alloy layer is evaporated selective to the carbon atoms. As the semiconductor atoms are selectively removed and the carbon concentration on the surface of the semiconductor-carbon alloy layer increases, the remaining carbon atoms in the top layers of the semiconductor-carbon alloy layer coalesce to form a graphene layer having at least one graphene monolayer. Thus, a graphene layer may be provided on a commercially available semiconductor substrate having a diameter of 200 mm or 300 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Jack O. Chu, Christos D. Dimitrakopoulos, Alfred Grill, Chun-Yung Sung
  • Patent number: 9397195
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures including parallel graphene nanoribbons or carbon nanotubes oriented along crystallographic directions are provided from a template of silicon carbide (SiC) fins or nanowires. The SiC fins or nanowires are first provided and then graphene nanoribbons or carbon nanotubes are formed on the exposed surfaces of the fin or the nanowires by annealing. In embodiments in which closed carbon nanotubes are formed, the nanowires are suspended prior to annealing. The location, orientation and chirality of the graphene nanoribbons and the carbon nanotubes that are provided are determined by the corresponding silicon carbide fins and nanowires from which they are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Guy Cohen, Christos D. Dimitrakopoulos, Alfred Grill
  • Publication number: 20160141377
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide semiconductor structures and methods for making the same that include a boron nitride (BN) spacer on a gate stack, such as a gate stack of a planar FET or FinFET. The boron nitride spacer is fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and/or plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) techniques to produce a boron nitride spacer at relatively low temperatures that are conducive to devices made from materials such as silicon (Si), silicon germanium (SiGe), germanium (Ge), and/or III-V compounds. Furthermore, the boron nitride spacer may be fabricated to have various desirable properties, including a hexagonal textured structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: Kevin K. Chan, Alfred Grill, Deborah A. Neumayer, Dae-Gyu Park, Norma E. Sosa, Min Yang
  • Publication number: 20160133576
    Abstract: An electrical device comprising including an opening in a low-k dielectric material, and a copper including structure present within the opening for transmitting electrical current. A liner is present between the opening and the copper including structure. The liner includes a superlattice structure comprised of a metal oxide layer, a metal layer present on the metal oxide layer, and a metal nitride layer that is present on the metal layer. A first layer of the superlattice structure that is in direct contact with the low-k dielectric material is one of said metal oxide layer and a final layer of the superlattice structure that is in direct contact with the copper including structure is one of the metal nitride layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Donald F. Canaperi, Daniel C. Edelstein, Alfred Grill, Son V. Nguyen, Takeshi Nogami, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga Shobha
  • Patent number: 9337026
    Abstract: A semiconductor-carbon alloy layer is formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, which may be a commercially available semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate. The semiconductor-carbon alloy layer is converted into at least one graphene layer during a high temperature anneal, during which the semiconductor material on the surface of the semiconductor-carbon alloy layer is evaporated selective to the carbon atoms. As the semiconductor atoms are selectively removed and the carbon concentration on the surface of the semiconductor-carbon alloy layer increases, the remaining carbon atoms in the top layers of the semiconductor-carbon alloy layer coalesce to form a graphene layer having at least one graphene monolayer. Thus, a graphene layer may be provided on a commercially available semiconductor substrate having a diameter of 200 mm or 300 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Jack O. Chu, Christos D. Dimitrakopoulos, Alfred Grill, Chun-yung Sung
  • Patent number: 9312224
    Abstract: A porous low k dielectric material containing atoms of at least Si, C, N and H (C and/or O may also be present) is used to provide an interconnect structure having reduced BEOL capacitance and resistance. The porous low k dielectric material is used as an interconnect dielectric material in which at least one interconnect metal-containing structure is embedded therein. The porous low k dielectric material has metal diffusion barrier properties due to the presence of nitrogen as an elemental constituent of the porous low k dielectric material. As such, the porous low k dielectric material can eliminate the need of a diffusion barrier liner, or reduce the thickness of the diffusion barrier liner that is typically formed between an interconnect dielectric material and the embedded interconnect metal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald F. Canaperi, Alfred Grill, Thomas J. Haigh, Son V. Nguyen, Takeshi Nogami, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga Shobha, Matthew T. Shoudy