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).

  • Publication number: 20150214157
    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: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald F. Canaperi, Daniel C. Edelstein, Alfred Grill, Son V. Nguyen, Takeshi Nogami, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga Shobha
  • Patent number: 9093507
    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 28, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Guy M. Cohen, Christos D. Dimitrakopoulos, Alfred Grill
  • Publication number: 20150191824
    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: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Son V. Nguyen, Deepika Priyadarshini
  • Patent number: 9040411
    Abstract: A method of forming a carbon-rich silicon carbide-like dielectric film having a carbon concentration of greater than, or equal to, about 30 atomic % C and a dielectric constant of less than, or equal to, about 4.5 is provided. The dielectric film may optionally include nitrogen. When nitrogen is present, the carbon-rich silicon carbide-like dielectric film has a concentration nitrogen that is less than, or equal, to about 5 atomic % nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignees: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Joshua L. Herman, Son Nguyen, E. Todd Ryan, Hosadurga K. Shobha
  • Patent number: 9018767
    Abstract: A dielectric stack and method of depositing the stack to a substrate using a single step deposition process. The dielectric stack includes a dense layer and a porous layer of the same elemental compound with different compositional atomic percentage, density, and porosity. The stack enhances mechanical modulus strength and enhances oxidation and copper diffusion barrier properties. The dielectric stack has inorganic or hybrid inorganic-organic random three-dimensional covalent bonding throughout the network, which contain different regions of different chemical compositions such as a cap component adjacent to a low-k component of the same type of material but with higher porosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Griselda Bonilla, Alfred Grill, Thomas J. Haigh, Jr., Satyanarayana V. Nitta, Son Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8980715
    Abstract: Multilayer dielectric structures are provided having silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon oxynitride (SiNO) films for use as capping layers, liners, spacer barrier layers, and etch stop layers, and other components of semiconductor nano-devices. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a multilayer dielectric structure having multiple layers of dielectric material including one or more SiN layers and one or more SiNO layers. The layers of dielectric material in the multilayer dielectric structure have a thickness in a range of about 0.5 nanometers to about 3 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Seth L. Knupp, Son V. Nguyen, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga K. Shobha
  • Patent number: 8981466
    Abstract: Multilayer dielectric structures are provided having silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon oxynitride (SiNO) films for use as capping layers, liners, spacer barrier layers, and etch stop layers, and other components of semiconductor nano-devices. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a multilayer dielectric structure having multiple layers of dielectric material including one or more SiN layers and one or more SiNO layers. The layers of dielectric material in the multilayer dielectric structure have a thickness in a range of about 0.5 nanometers to about 3 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Seth L. Knupp, Son V. Nguyen, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga K. Shobha
  • Patent number: 8927405
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes providing a structure including, a handle substrate, a buried boron nitride layer located above an uppermost surface of the handle substrate, a buried oxide layer located on an uppermost surface of the buried boron nitride layer, and a top semiconductor layer located on an uppermost surface of the buried oxide layer. Next, a first semiconductor pad, a second semiconductor pad and a plurality of semiconductor nanowires connecting the first semiconductor pad and the second semiconductor pad in a ladder-like configuration are patterned into the top semiconductor layer. The semiconductor nanowires are suspended by removing a portion of the buried oxide layer from beneath each semiconductor nanowire, wherein a portion of the uppermost surface of the buried boron nitride layer is exposed. Next, a gate all-around field effect transistor is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Guy Cohen, Michael A. Guillorn, Alfred Grill, Leathen Shi
  • Patent number: 8927968
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes providing a structure including, a handle substrate, a buried boron nitride layer located above an uppermost surface of the handle substrate, a buried oxide layer located on an uppermost surface of the buried boron nitride layer, and a top semiconductor layer located on an uppermost surface of the buried oxide layer. Next, a first semiconductor pad, a second semiconductor pad and a plurality of semiconductor nanowires connecting the first semiconductor pad and the second semiconductor pad in a ladder-like configuration are patterned into the top semiconductor layer. The semiconductor nanowires are suspended by removing a portion of the buried oxide layer from beneath each semiconductor nanowire, wherein a portion of the uppermost surface of the buried boron nitride layer is exposed. Next, a gate all-around field effect transistor is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Guy Cohen, Michael A. Guillorn, Alfred Grill, Leathen Shi
  • Patent number: 8927057
    Abstract: A method for forming a single, few-layer, or multi-layer graphene and structure is described incorporating selecting a substrate having a buried layer of carbon underneath a metal layer, providing an ambient and providing a heat treatment to pass carbon through the metal layer to form a graphene layer on the metal layer surface or incorporating a metal-carbon layer which is heated to segregate carbon in the form of graphene to the surface or chemically reacting the metal in the metal-carbon layer with a substrate containing Si driving the carbon to the surface whereby graphene is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ageeth A. Bol, Roy A. Carruthers, Jack O. Chu, Alfred Grill, Christian Lavoie, Katherine L. Saenger, James C. Tsang
  • Publication number: 20140374702
    Abstract: Hall effect devices and field effect transistors are formed incorporating a carbon-based nanostructure layer such as carbon nanotubes and/or graphene with a sacrificial metal layer formed there over to protect the carbon-based nanostructure layer during processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: JACK O. CHU, CHRISTOS D. DIMITRAKOPOULOS, ALFRED GRILL, TIMOTHY J. McARDLE, DIRK PFEIFFER, KATHERINE L. SAENGER, ROBERT L. WISNIEFF
  • Patent number: 8895433
    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: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    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: 8877340
    Abstract: A graphene layer is formed on a crystallographic surface having a non-hexagonal symmetry. The crystallographic surface can be a surface of a single crystalline semiconductor carbide layer. The non-hexagonal symmetry surface of the single crystalline semiconductor carbide layer is annealed at an elevated temperature in ultra-high vacuum environment to form the graphene layer. During the anneal, the semiconductor atoms on the non-hexagonal surface of the single crystalline semiconductor carbide layer are evaporated selective to the carbon atoms. As the semiconductor atoms are selectively removed, the carbon concentration on the surface of the semiconductor-carbon alloy layer increases. Despite the non-hexagonal symmetry of the surface of the semiconductor-carbon alloy layer, the remaining carbon atoms can coalesce to form a graphene layer having hexagonal symmetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jack O. Chu, Christos Dimitrakopoulos, Marcus O. Freitag, Alfred Grill, Timothy J. McArdle, Chun-Yung Sung, Robert L. Wisnieff
  • Patent number: 8852342
    Abstract: A surface of a single crystalline semiconductor-carbon alloy layer having a surface normal along or close to a major crystallographic direction is provided by mechanical means such as cutting and/or polishing. Such a surface has naturally formed irregular surface features. Small semiconductor islands are deposited on the surface of single crystalline semiconductor-carbon alloy layer. Another single crystalline semiconductor-carbon alloy structure may be placed on the small semiconductor islands, and the assembly of the two semiconductor-carbon alloy layers with the semiconductor islands therebetween is annealed. During the initial phase of the anneal, surface diffusion of the semiconductor material proceeds to form vicinal surfaces while graphitization is suppressed because the space between the two semiconductor-carbon alloy layers maintains a high vapor pressure of the semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christos D. Dimitrakopoulos, Marcus O. Freitag, Alfred Grill, Robert L. Wisnieff
  • Publication number: 20140284815
    Abstract: A dielectric stack and method of depositing the stack to a substrate using a single step deposition process. The dielectric stack includes a dense layer and a porous layer of the same elemental compound with different compositional atomic percentage, density, and porosity. The stack enhances mechanical modulus strength and enhances oxidation and copper diffusion barrier properties. The dielectric stack has inorganic or hybrid inorganic-organic random three-dimensional covalent bonding throughout the network, which contain different regions of different chemical compositions such as a cap component adjacent to a low-k component of the same type of material but with higher porosity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Griselda Bonilla, Alfred Grill, Thomas J. Haigh, JR., Satyanarayana V. Nitta, Son Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8841652
    Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a metal carbide source portion, a metal carbide drain portion, an insulating carbon portion separating the metal carbide source portion from the metal carbide portion, a nanostructure formed over the insulating and carbon portion and connecting the metal carbide source portion to the metal carbide drain portion, and a gate stack formed on over at least a portion of the insulating carbon portion and at least a portion of the nanostructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cyril Cabral, Jr., Josephine B. Chang, Alfred Grill, Michael A. Guillorn, Christian Lavoie, Eugene J. O'Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20140252502
    Abstract: Multilayer dielectric structures are provided having silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon oxynitride (SiNO) films for use as capping layers, liners, spacer barrier layers, and etch stop layers, and other components of semiconductor nano-devices. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a multilayer dielectric structure having multiple layers of dielectric material including one or more SiN layers and one or more SiNO layers. The layers of dielectric material in the multilayer dielectric structure have a thickness in a range of about 0.5 nanometers to about 3 nanometers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Seth L. Knupp, Son V. Nguyen, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga K. Shobha
  • Publication number: 20140256154
    Abstract: A dielectric stack and method of depositing the stack to a substrate using a single step deposition process. The dielectric stack includes a dense layer and a porous layer of the same elemental compound with different compositional atomic percentage, density, and porosity. The stack enhances mechanical modulus strength and enhances oxidation and copper diffusion barrier properties. The dielectric stack has inorganic or hybrid inorganic-organic random three-dimensional covalent bonding throughout the network, which contain different regions of different chemical compositions such as a cap component adjacent to a low-k component of the same type of material but with higher porosity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Griselda Bonilla, Alfred Grill, Thomas J. Haigh, JR., Satyanarayana V. Nitta, Son Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20140256153
    Abstract: Multilayer dielectric structures are provided having silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon oxynitride (SiNO) films for use as capping layers, liners, spacer barrier layers, and etch stop layers, and other components of semiconductor nano-devices. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a multilayer dielectric structure having multiple layers of dielectric material including one or more SiN layers and one or more SiNO layers. The layers of dielectric material in the multilayer dielectric structure have a thickness in a range of about 0.5 nanometers to about 3 nanometers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Seth L. Knupp, Son V. Nguyen, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, Deepika Priyadarshini, Hosadurga K. Shobha
  • Patent number: 8828762
    Abstract: Hall effect devices and field effect transistors are formed incorporating a carbon-based nanostructure layer such as carbon nanotubes and/or graphene with a sacrificial metal layer formed there over to protect the carbon-based nanostructure layer during processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jack O. Chu, Christos D. DiMitrakopoulos, Alfred Grill, Timothy J. McArdle, Dirk Pfeiffer, Katherine L. Saenger, Robert L. Wisnieff