Patents by Inventor Anne S. Verhulst

Anne S. Verhulst 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: 10211287
    Abstract: A p-type Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor comprises a drain p-type semiconductor region, a source n-type semiconductor region, and at least one gate stack. The source n-type semiconductor region comprises a lowly doped section with a length of at least 10 nm and with a doping level of n-type dopant elements below 5×1018 at/cm3 and, in contact with the lowly doped section, a highly doped section with a length between 1 monolayer and 20 nm and with a doping level of n-type dopant elements above 5×1018 at/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: IMEC VZW, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KU LEUVEN R&D
    Inventors: Devin Verreck, Anne S. Verhulst
  • Patent number: 9608094
    Abstract: A Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor (TFET) device is provided comprising at least one heterosection between the source region and the channel region. The at least one heterosection has a low dielectric constant and thickness below 10 nm. Additionally a pocket region and another heterosection may be added in between the at least one heterosection and the channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: IMEC VZW
    Inventors: Anne S. Verhulst, Geoffrey Pourtois, Rita Rooyackers
  • Patent number: 9318583
    Abstract: A vertical tunneling field effect transistor (TFET) and method for forming a vertical tunneling field effect transistor (TFET) is disclosed. The vertical tunneling field effect transistor TFET comprises a vertical core region, a vertical source region, a vertical drain region and a gate structure. The vertical core region is extending perpendicularly from a semiconductor substrate, having a top surface, consisting of a doped outer part and a middle part. The vertical source region of semiconducting core material comprises the doped outer part of the vertical core region. The vertical drain region of semiconducting drain material comprises along its longitudinal direction a first drain part and a second drain part, the first drain part either directly surrounding said vertical source region or directly sandwiching said vertical source region between two sub-parts of said first drain part, the second drain part located directly above and in contact with the first drain part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignees: IMEC VZW, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KU LEUVEN R&D
    Inventors: Anne S. Verhulst, Quentin Smets
  • Publication number: 20160104769
    Abstract: A p-type Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor comprises a drain p-type semiconductor region, a source n-type semiconductor region, and at least one gate stack. The source n-type semiconductor region comprises a lowly doped section with a length of at least 10 nm and with a doping level of n-type dopant elements below 5×1018 at/cm3 and, in contact with the lowly doped section, a highly doped section with a length between 1 monolayer and 20 nm and with a doping level of n-type dopant elements above 5×1018 at/cm3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Devin Verreck, Anne S. Verhulst
  • Publication number: 20160064535
    Abstract: A Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor (TFET) device is provided comprising at least one heterosection between the source region and the channel region. The at least one heterosection has a low dielectric constant and thickness below 10 nm. Additionally a pocket region and another heterosection may be added in between the at least one heterosection and the channel region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Anne S. Verhulst, Geoffrey Pourtois, Rita Rooyackers
  • Patent number: 9070720
    Abstract: A Tunnel Field Effect Transistor device (TFET) made of at least following layers: a highly doped drain layer, a highly doped source layer, a channel layer, a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer, the gate dielectric layer extending along the source layer, and a highly doped pocket layer extending in between and along the gate dielectric layer and the source layer, characterized in that the pocket layer extends to between and along the source layer and the channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignees: IMEC, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.U. Leuven R&D
    Inventors: Quentin Smets, Anne S. Verhulst, Rita Rooyackers, Marc Heyns
  • Patent number: 8872230
    Abstract: A tunnel Field Effect Transistor is provided comprising an interface between a source and a channel, the source side of this interface being a layer of a first crystalline semiconductor material being substantially uniformly doped with a metal to the solubility level of the metal in the first crystalline material and the channel side of this interface being a layer of this first crystalline semiconductor material doped with this metal, the concentration decreasing towards the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Anne S. Verhulst, Thomas Hantschel, Wilfried Vandervorst, Cedric Huyghebaert
  • Patent number: 8629428
    Abstract: A tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) and method of making the same is provided. The TFET comprises a source-channel-drain structure and a gate electrode. The source region comprises a first source sub-region which is doped with a first doping profile with a dopant element of a first doping type having a first peak concentration and a second source sub-region close to a source-channel interface which is doped with a second doping profile with a second dopant element with the same doping type as the first dopant element and having a second peak concentration. The second peak concentration of the second doping profile is substantially higher than the maximum doping level of the first doping profile close to an interface between the first and the second source sub-regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignees: IMEC, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.U. Leuven R&D
    Inventors: Anne S. Verhulst, Kuo-Hsing Kao
  • Publication number: 20130334500
    Abstract: A Tunnel Field Effect Transistor device (TFET) made of at least following layers: a highly doped drain layer, a highly doped source layer, a channel layer, a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer, the gate dielectric layer extending along the source layer, and a highly doped pocket layer extending in between and along the gate dielectric layer and the source layer, characterized in that the pocket layer extends to between and along the source layer and the channel layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicants: Katholieke Universiteit, K.U. LEUVEN R&D, IMEC
    Inventors: Quentin Smets, Anne S. Verhulst, Rita Rooyackers, Marc Heyns
  • Patent number: 8576614
    Abstract: A tunnel transistor is provided including a drain, a source and at least a first gate for controlling current between the drain and the source, wherein the first sides of respectively the first and the second gate dielectric material are positioned substantially along and substantially contact respectively the first and the second semiconductor part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignees: IMEC, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.U. Leuven R&D
    Inventors: Marc Heyns, Cedric Huyghebaert, Anne S. Verhulst, Daniele Leonelli, Rita Rooyackers, Wim Dehaene
  • Patent number: 8431924
    Abstract: A method to fabricate a hetero-junction in a Tunnel Field Effect Transistor device configuration (e.g. in a segmented nanowire TFET) is provided. A thin transition layer is inserted in between the source region and channel region such that the out-diffusion is within a very limited region of a few nm, guaranteeing extremely good doping abruptness thanks to the lower diffusion of the dopants in the transition layer. The transition layer avoids the direct contact between the highly doped source region and the lowly doped or undoped channel and allows to contain the whole doping entirely within the source region and transition layer. The thickness of the transition layer can be engineered such that the transition layer coincides with the steep transition step from the highly doped source region to the intrinsic region (channel), and hence maximizing the tunneling current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Francesca Iacopi, Anne S. Verhulst, Arturo Sibaja-Hernandez
  • Patent number: 8415209
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing at least one nanowire Tunnel Field Effect Transistor (TFET) semiconductor device. The method comprises providing a stack comprising a layer of channel material with on top thereof a layer of sacrificial material, removing material from the stack so as to form at least one nanowire from the layer of channel material and the layer of sacrificial material, and replacing the sacrificial material in the at least one nanowire by heterojunction material. A method according to embodiments of the present disclosure is advantageous as it enables easy manufacturing of complementary TFETs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignees: IMEC, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.U. Leuven R&D
    Inventors: Rita Rooyackers, Daniele Leonelli, Anne Vandooren, Anne S. Verhulst, Roger Loo, Stefan De Gendt
  • Patent number: 8404545
    Abstract: A tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) is disclosed. In one aspect, the transistor comprises a gate that does not align with a drain, and only overlap with the source extending at least up to the interface of the source-channel region and optionally overlaps with part of the channel. Due to the shorter gate, the total gate capacitance is reduced, which is directly reflected in an improved switching speed of the device. In addition to the advantage of an improved switching speed, the transistor also has a processing advantage (no alignment of the gate with the drain is necessary), as well as a performance improvement (the ambipolar behavior of the TFET is reduced).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignees: IMEC, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.U. Leuven R&D
    Inventors: William G. Vandenberghe, Anne S. Verhulst
  • Publication number: 20130064005
    Abstract: A tunnel transistor is provided comprising a drain, a source and at least a first gate for controlling current between the drain and the source, wherein the first sides of respectively the first and the second gate dielectric material are positioned substantially along and substantially contact respectively the first and the second semiconductor part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicants: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.U. LEUVEN R&D, IMEC
    Inventors: Marc Heyns, Cedric Huyghebaert, Anne S. Verhulst, Daniele Leonelli, Rita Rooyackers, Wim Dehaene
  • Publication number: 20120298959
    Abstract: A tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) and method of making the same is provided. The TFET comprises a source-channel-drain structure and a gat electrode. The source region comprises a first source sub-region which is doped with a first doping profile with a dopant element of a first doping type having a first peak concentration and a second source sub-region close to a source-channel interface which is doped with a second doping profile with a second dopant element with the same doping type as the first dopant element and having a second peak concentration. The second peak concentration of the second doping profile is substantially higher than the maximum doping level of the first doping profile close to an interface between the first and the second source sub-regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicants: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.U.LEUVEN R&D, IMEC
    Inventors: Anne S. Verhulst, Kuo-Hsing Kao
  • Publication number: 20120298961
    Abstract: A method to fabricate a hetero-junction in a Tunnel Field Effect Transistor device configuration (e.g. in a segmented nanowire TFET) is provided. A thin transition layer is inserted in between the source region and channel region such that the out-diffusion is within a very limited region of a few nm, guaranteeing extremely good doping abruptness thanks to the lower diffusion of the dopants in the transition layer. The transition layer avoids the direct contact between the highly doped source region and the lowly doped or undoped channel and allows to contain the whole doping entirely within the source region and transition layer. The thickness of the transition layer can be engineered such that the transition layer coincides with the steep transition step from the highly doped source region to the intrinsic region (channel), and hence maximizing the tunneling current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventors: Francesca Iacopi, Anne S. Verhulst, Arturo Sibaja-Hernandez
  • Patent number: 8304843
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) device comprising at least following segments: a highly doped drain region, a lowly doped up to undoped channel region being in contact with the drain region, the channel region having a longitudinal direction, a highly doped source region in contact with the channel region, the contact between the source region and the channel region forming a source-channel interface, a gate dielectric and a gate electrode covering along the longitudinal direction at least part of the source and channel regions, the gate electrode being situated onto the gate dielectric, not extending beyond the gate dielectric, wherein the effective gate dielectric thickness tgd,eff of the gate dielectric is smaller at the source-channel interface than above the channel at a distance from the source-channel interface, the increase in effective gate dielectric thickness tgd,eff being obtained by means of at least changing the physical thickness tgd of the gate dielectri
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventor: Anne S. Verhulst
  • Patent number: 8241983
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method to fabricate a hetero-junction in a Tunnel Field Effect Transistor (TFET) device configuration (e.g. in a segmented nanowire TFET). Since in prior art devices the highly doped source is in direct contact with the lowly doped or undoped channel, some amount of dopants will diffuse from the source to the channel which cannot be avoided due to the source deposition thermal budget. This out-diffusion reduces the steepness of the doping profile and hence deteriorates the device operation. Particular embodiments comprise the insertion of a thin transition layer in between the source region and channel region such that the out-diffusion is within a very limited region of a few nm, guaranteeing extremely good doping abruptness thanks to the lower diffusion of the dopants in the transition layer. The transition layer avoids the direct contact between the highly doped (e.g. Ge or SiGe) source region and the lowly doped or undoped (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Francesca Iacopi, Anne S. Verhulst, Arturo Sibaja-Hernandez
  • Patent number: 8232517
    Abstract: A wavelength-sensitive detector is provided that is based on elongate nanostructures, e.g. nanowires. The elongate nanostructures are parallel with respect to a common substrate and they are grouped in at least first and second units of a plurality of parallel elongate nanostructures. The elongate nanostructures are positioned in between a first and second electrode, the first and second electrodes lying respectively in a first and second plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of substrate, whereby all elongate nanostructures in a same photoconductor unit are contacted by the same two electrodes. Circuitry is added to read out electrical signals from the photoconductor units. The electronic density of states of the elongate nanostructures in each unit is different, because the material, of which the elongate nanostructures are made, is different or because the diameter of the elongate nanostructures is different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Anne S. Verhulst, Wilfried Vandervorst
  • Publication number: 20120115296
    Abstract: A tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) is disclosed. In one aspect, the transistor comprises a gate that does not align with a drain, and only overlap with the source extending at least up to the interface of the source-channel region and optionally overlaps with part of the channel. Due to the shorter gate, the total gate capacitance is reduced, which is directly reflected in an improved switching speed of the device. In addition to the advantage of an improved switching speed, the transistor also has a processing advantage (no alignment of the gate with the drain is necessary), as well as a performance improvement (the ambipolar behavior of the TFET is reduced).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.U. Leuven R&D, IMEC
    Inventors: William G. Vandenderghe, Anne S. Verhulst