Patents by Inventor Andy Lo

Andy Lo 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: 20250379047
    Abstract: The methods and devices described herein provide for thin and high-quality oxide layers with controlled interfacial roughness. In some embodiments, the aforementioned oxide layers are formed using radical oxidation processes with slow oxidation rates and relatively low-to-moderate temperatures, followed by nitrogen (N2) annealing at relatively high temperatures to densify the oxide layer(s) while also relieving (e.g., relaxing) interfacial stresses by inducing the viscous flow of the oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2024
    Publication date: December 11, 2025
    Inventors: Jae Young PARK, Young Jun CHOI, Ho Chang LEE, Jiseon PARK, Hansel LO, Johanes F. SWENBERG, Paola DE CECCO, Michael BOWES, Andy LO, John Timothy BOLAND, Rene GEORGE
  • Publication number: 20250338641
    Abstract: The disclosure provides approaches for forming complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensors having passivated sidewalls using plasma doping and low-temperature thermal processes. One approach may include a method may include providing a main body of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor, and forming a plurality of trenches in a back side of the main body, wherein each of the plurality of trenches includes a set of sidewalls and a base extending between the set of sidewalls. The method may further include performing a plasma treatment to form a doped layer along the base and along each of the set of sidewalls, performing a thermal treatment on the doped layer, and forming a dielectric layer over the doped layer following the thermal treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2024
    Publication date: October 30, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vikram M. BHOSLE, Hung Chih CHANG, Nikolaos BEKIARIS, Seshadri RAMASWAMI, Deven Raj MITTAL, Andy LO, Shashank SHARMA
  • Patent number: 12363948
    Abstract: Horizontal gate-all-around devices and methods of manufacturing same are described. The hGAA devices comprise an oxide layer and a semiconductor material layer between source regions and drain regions of the device. The method includes growing a conformal epitaxial layer on a nanosheet channel layer, followed by radical plasma oxidation (RPO) to oxidize the conformal epitaxial layer. An alternative method includes growing a conformal epitaxial layer on a nanosheet channel layer, followed by a surface treatment, and then radical plasma oxidation (RPO) to oxidize the conformal epitaxial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Myungsun Kim, Andy Lo, Eric Davey, Michael Stolfi, Benjamin Colombeau
  • Publication number: 20250203942
    Abstract: Horizontal gate-all-around devices and methods of manufacturing same are described. The hGAA devices comprise an oxide layer and a semiconductor material layer between source regions and drain regions of the device. The method includes growing a conformal epitaxial layer on a nanosheet channel layer, followed by radical plasma oxidation (RPO) to oxidize the conformal epitaxial layer. An alternative method includes growing a conformal epitaxial layer on a nanosheet channel layer, followed by a surface treatment, and then radical plasma oxidation (RPO) to oxidize the conformal epitaxial layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2025
    Publication date: June 19, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Myungsun Kim, Andy Lo, Eric Davey, Michael Stolfi, Benjamin Colombeau
  • Patent number: 12243941
    Abstract: Horizontal gate-all-around devices and methods of manufacturing the same are described. The hGAA devices comprise an oxidize layer on a semiconductor material between source regions and drain regions of the device. The method includes radical plasma oxidation (RPO) of semiconductor material layers between source regions and drain regions of an electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Myungsun Kim, Michael Stolfi, Benjamin Colombeau, Andy Lo
  • Publication number: 20250062123
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a method of thermal treatment or radical species treatment of a photoresist a metal-oxide photoresist. In an embodiment, a method of patterning a metal-oxide photoresist, such as a Sn-based photoresist, includes depositing the metal-oxide photoresist over a substrate, exposing the metal-oxide photoresist with an extreme ultra-violet (EUV) exposure to form exposed regions and non-exposed regions, developing the exposed metal-oxide photoresist, and performing a thermal treatment and/or a radical species treatment of the metal-oxide photoresist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Inventors: SHASHANK SHARMA, KAI B. NG, NORMAN TAM, YUQI GUO, ANDY LO, HUIXIONG DAI, KHOI PHAN, CHIHAN HSU, MADHUR SACHAN, NASRIN KAZEM, ZHENXING HAN
  • Patent number: 11923441
    Abstract: Described is a method of manufacturing a gate-all-around electronic device. The method includes forming a thermal oxide layer though an enhanced in situ steam generation process in combination with atomic layer deposition of a low-? layer. The thin thermal oxide layer passivates the interface between the silicon layer and the dielectric layer of the GAA. A passivation process after the deposition of the low-? layer reduces the bulk trap and enhances the breakdown performance of the GAA transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. H. Hung, Benjamin Colombeau, Andy Lo, Byeong Chan Lee, Johanes F. Swenberg, Theresa Kramer Guarini, Malcolm J. Bevan
  • Publication number: 20220399457
    Abstract: Described is a method of manufacturing a gate-all-around electronic device. The method includes forming a thermal oxide layer though an enhanced in situ steam generation process in combination with atomic layer deposition of a low-? layer. The thin thermal oxide layer passivates the interface between the silicon layer and the dielectric layer of the GAA. A passivation process after the deposition of the low-? layer reduces the bulk trap and enhances the breakdown performance of the GAA transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C.H. Hung, Benjamin Colombeau, Andy Lo, Byeong Chan Lee, Johanes F. Swenberg, Theresa Kramer Guarini, Malcolm J. Bevan
  • Patent number: 11450759
    Abstract: Described is a method of manufacturing a gate-all-around electronic device. The method includes forming a thermal oxide layer though an enhanced in situ steam generation process in combination with atomic layer deposition of a low-? layer. The thin thermal oxide layer passivates the interface between the silicon layer and the dielectric layer of the GAA. A passivation process after the deposition of the low-? layer reduces the bulk trap and enhances the breakdown performance of the GAA transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. H. Hung, Benjamin Colombeau, Andy Lo, Byeong Chan Lee, Johanes F. Swenberg, Theresa Kramer Guarini, Malcolm J. Bevan
  • Patent number: 11373871
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming doped material layers in semiconductor devices using an integrated selective monolayer doping (SMLD) process. A concentration of dopant is deposited on a material layer using the SMLD process and the concentration of dopant is then annealed to diffuse the concentration of dopant into the material layer. The SMLD process conforms the concentration of dopant to a surface of the material layer and may be performed in a single CVD chamber. The SMLD process may also be repeated to further alter the diffusion parameters of the dopant into the material layer. The SMLD process is compatible with p-type dopant species and n-type dopant species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin Colombeau, Wolfgang R. Aderhold, Andy Lo, Yi-Chiau Huang
  • Publication number: 20220123123
    Abstract: Horizontal gate-all-around devices and methods of manufacturing same are described. The hGAA devices comprise an oxide layer and a semiconductor material layer between source regions and drain regions of the device. The method includes growing a conformal epitaxial layer on a nanosheet channel layer, followed by radical plasma oxidation (RPO) to oxidize the conformal epitaxial layer. An alternative method includes growing a conformal epitaxial layer on a nanosheet channel layer, followed by a surface treatment, and then radical plasma oxidation (RPO) to oxidize the conformal epitaxial layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Myungsun Kim, Andy Lo, Eric Davey, Michael Stolfi, Benjamin Colombeau
  • Publication number: 20220037529
    Abstract: Horizontal gate-all-around devices and methods of manufacturing the same are described. The hGAA devices comprise an oxidize layer on a semiconductor material between source regions and drain regions of the device. The method includes radical plasma oxidation (RPO) of semiconductor material layers between source regions and drain regions of an electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Myungsun Kim, Michael Stolfi, Benjamin Colombeau, Andy Lo
  • Patent number: 11195923
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for forming a transistor. More specifically, implementations described herein generally relate to methods for forming a source/drain contact. In one implementation, the method includes forming a trench in a dielectric material to expose a source/drain region of a transistor, performing a pre-clean process on the exposed source/drain region, forming a doped semiconductor layer on the source/drain region by an epitaxial deposition process, and fill the trench with a conductor. The doped semiconductor layer has a lower electrical resistance than the source/drain region due to a higher dopant concentration in the doped semiconductor layer. As a result, the contact resistance of the source/drain contact is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Gaurav Thareja, Xuebin Li, Abhishek Dube, Yi-Chiau Huang, Tushar Vidyadhar Mandrekar, Andy Lo, Patricia M. Liu, Sanjay Natarajan, Saurabh Chopra
  • Patent number: 11152479
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods for forming a semiconductor device, a semiconductor device, and a processing chamber. The method includes forming a source/drain region in a processing system, forming a doped semiconductor layer on the source/drain region in the processing system, forming a metal silicide layer, forming a dielectric material, forming a trench in the dielectric material, and filling the trench with a conductor. The source/drain region, the doped semiconductor layer, and the metal silicide layer are formed without breaking vacuum. A semiconductor device includes a plurality of layers, and the semiconductor device has reduced contact resistance. A processing system is configured to perform the method and form the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Gaurav Thareja, Xuebin Li, Abhishek Dube, Yi-Chiau Huang, Andy Lo, Patricia M. Liu, Sanjay Natarajan, Saurabh Chopra
  • Publication number: 20210104617
    Abstract: Described is a method of manufacturing a gate-all-around electronic device. The method includes forming a thermal oxide layer though an enhanced in situ steam generation process in combination with atomic layer deposition of a low-? layer. The thin thermal oxide layer passivates the interface between the silicon layer and the dielectric layer of the GAA. A passivation process after the deposition of the low-? layer reduces the bulk trap and enhances the breakdown performance of the GAA transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C.H. Hung, Benjamin Colombeau, Andy Lo, Byeong Chan Lee, Johanes F. Swenberg, Theresa Kramer Guarini, Malcolm J. Bevan
  • Publication number: 20200258997
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods for forming a semiconductor device, a semiconductor device, and a processing chamber. The method includes forming a source/drain region in a processing system, forming a doped semiconductor layer on the source/drain region in the processing system, forming a metal silicide layer, forming a dielectric material, forming a trench in the dielectric material, and filling the trench with a conductor. The source/drain region, the doped semiconductor layer, and the metal silicide layer are formed without breaking vacuum. A semiconductor device includes a plurality of layers, and the semiconductor device has reduced contact resistance. A processing system is configured to perform the method and form the semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Gaurav THAREJA, Xuebin LI, Abhishek DUBE, Yi-Chiau HUANG, Andy LO, Patricia M. LIU, Sanjay NATARAJAN, Saurabh CHOPRA
  • Publication number: 20200203490
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for forming a transistor. More specifically, implementations described herein generally relate to methods for forming a source/drain contact. In one implementation, the method includes forming a trench in a dielectric material to expose a source/drain region of a transistor, performing a pre-clean process on the exposed source/drain region, forming a doped semiconductor layer on the source/drain region by an epitaxial deposition process, and fill the trench with a conductor. The doped semiconductor layer has a lower electrical resistance than the source/drain region due to a higher dopant concentration in the doped semiconductor layer. As a result, the contact resistance of the source/drain contact is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Gaurav THAREJA, Xuebin LI, Abhishek DUBE, Yi-Chiau HUANG, Tushar Vidyadhar MANDREKAR, Andy LO, Patricia M. LIU, Sanjay NATARAJAN, Saurabh CHOPRA
  • Publication number: 20200161134
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming doped material layers in semiconductor devices using an integrated selective monolayer doping (SMLD) process. A concentration of dopant is deposited on a material layer using the SMLD process and the concentration of dopant is then annealed to diffuse the concentration of dopant into the material layer. The SMLD process conforms the concentration of dopant to a surface of the material layer and may be performed in a single CVD chamber. The SMLD process may also be repeated to further alter the diffusion parameters of the dopant into the material layer. The SMLD process is compatible with p-type dopant species and n-type dopant species.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: BENJAMIN COLOMBEAU, WOLFGANG R. ADERHOLD, ANDY LO, YI-CHIAU HUANG
  • Patent number: 9419661
    Abstract: An impulse noise mitigation circuit (INMC) may set a cut-off frequency of each of two high pass filters to bound a frequency bandwidth of a desired signal, wherein a first of the two filters allows frequencies higher than the frequency bandwidth of the desired signal, and a second of the two filters allows frequencies lower than the frequency bandwidth of the desired signal. The INMC may compute and store a mean magnitude separately for a first signal response of the first filter and a second signal response of the second filter. The INMC may select the first filter for impulse noise mitigation when the mean magnitude of the second filter is greater than the mean magnitude of the first filter. The INMC may select the second filter for impulse noise mitigation when the mean magnitude of the first filter is greater than the second filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Maxlinear, Inc
    Inventors: Andy Lo, Sugbong Kang
  • Publication number: 20160049971
    Abstract: An impulse noise mitigation circuit (INMC) may set a cut-off frequency of each of two high pass filters to bound a frequency bandwidth of a desired signal, wherein a first of the two filters allows frequencies higher than the frequency bandwidth of the desired signal, and a second of the two filters allows frequencies lower than the frequency bandwidth of the desired signal. The INMC may compute and store a mean magnitude separately for a first signal response of the first filter and a second signal response of the second filter. The INMC may select the first filter for impulse noise mitigation when the mean magnitude of the second filter is greater than the mean magnitude of the first filter. The INMC may select the second filter for impulse noise mitigation when the mean magnitude of the first filter is greater than the second filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Andy Lo, Sugbong Kang