Patents by Inventor Bernhard Sell
Bernhard Sell 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).
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Patent number: 12660156Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques for a semiconductor device having an interconnect structure above a substrate. The interconnect structure may include an inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer and a separation layer above the ILD layer. A first conductor and a second conductor may be within the ILD layer. The first conductor may have a first physical configuration, and the second conductor may have a second physical configuration different from the first physical configuration. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2017Date of Patent: June 16, 2026Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Travis Lajoie, Tahir Ghani, Jack T. Kavalieros, Shem O. Ogadhoh, Yih Wang, Bernhard Sell, Allen Gardiner, Blake Lin, Juan G. Alzate Vinasco, Pei-Hua Wang, Chieh-Jen Ku, Abhishek A. Sharma
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Patent number: 12599032Abstract: IC devices implementing bilayer stacking with lines shared between bottom and top memory layers, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed. An example IC device includes a support structure, a front end of line (FEOL) layer and a back end of line (BEOL) layer. The BEOL layer includes a first memory cell in a first layer over the support structure, an electrically conductive line in a second layer, above the first layer, and a second memory cell in a third layer, above the second layer. The line could be one of a wordline, a bitline, or a plateline that is shared between the first and second memory cells. In particular, bilayer stacking line sharing is such that only one line is provided as a line to be shared between one or more of the memory cells of the first layer and one or more memory cells of the third layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2021Date of Patent: April 7, 2026Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Abhishek A. Sharma, Noriyuki Sato, Van H. Le, Sarah Atanasov, Hui Jae Yoo, Bernhard Sell, Pei-hua Wang, Travis W. Lajoie, Chieh-Jen Ku, Juan G. Alzate-Vinasco, Fatih Hamzaoglu
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Publication number: 20260059789Abstract: Semiconductor devices having necked semiconductor bodies and methods of forming semiconductor bodies of varying width are described. For example, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body disposed above a substrate. A gate electrode stack is disposed over a portion of the semiconductor body to define a channel region in the semiconductor body under the gate electrode stack. Source and drain regions are defined in the semiconductor body on either side of the gate electrode stack. Sidewall spacers are disposed adjacent to the gate electrode stack and over only a portion of the source and drain regions. The portion of the source and drain regions under the sidewall spacers has a height and a width greater than a height and a width of the channel region of the semiconductor body.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2025Publication date: February 26, 2026Inventor: Bernhard SELL
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Patent number: 12520519Abstract: Semiconductor devices having necked semiconductor bodies and methods of forming semiconductor bodies of varying width are described. For example, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body disposed above a substrate. A gate electrode stack is disposed over a portion of the semiconductor body to define a channel region in the semiconductor body under the gate electrode stack. Source and drain regions are defined in the semiconductor body on either side of the gate electrode stack. Sidewall spacers are disposed adjacent to the gate electrode stack and over only a portion of the source and drain regions. The portion of the source and drain regions under the sidewall spacers has a height and a width greater than a height and a width of the channel region of the semiconductor body.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2024Date of Patent: January 6, 2026Assignee: Intel CorporationInventor: Bernhard Sell
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Patent number: 12513970Abstract: Described herein are integrated circuit devices with semiconductor devices and interconnects coupled to contacts of the semiconductor devices, where the interconnects have tungsten liners between a fill material of the interconnect and the contacts. Interconnect liners can help maintain conductivity between semiconductor devices (e.g., transistors) and the interconnects that conduct current to and from the semiconductor devices. Tungsten liners may be in combination with semiconductor devices that use certain channel materials, such as indium gallium zinc oxide.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2021Date of Patent: December 30, 2025Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Travis W. Lajoie, Pei-hua Wang, Gregory J. George, Bernhard Sell, Juan G. Alzate-Vinasco, Chieh-Jen Ku, Alekhya Nimmagadda
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Patent number: 12490460Abstract: Techniques are provided herein for forming transistor devices with reduced parasitic capacitance, such as transistors used in a memory structure. In an example, a given memory structure includes memory cells, with a given memory cell having an access device and a storage device. The access device may include, for example, a thin film transistor (TFT), and the storage device may include a capacitor. Any of the given TFTs may include a dielectric liner extending along sidewalls of the TFT. The TFT includes a recess (e.g., a dimple) that extends laterally inwards toward a midpoint of a semiconductor region of the TFT. The dielectric liner thus also pinches or otherwise extends inward. This pinched-in dielectric liner may reduce parasitic capacitance between the contacts of the TFT and the gate electrode of the TFT. The pinched-in dielectric liner may also protect the contacts from forming too deep into the semiconductor region.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2022Date of Patent: December 2, 2025Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Cheng Tan, Yu-Wen Huang, Hui-Min Chuang, Xiaojun Weng, Nikhil J. Mehta, Allen B. Gardiner, Shu Zhou, Timothy Jen, Abhishek Anil Sharma, Van H. Le, Travis W. Lajoie, Bernhard Sell
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Patent number: 12471318Abstract: Transistors with metal oxide channel material that is in-situ doped for desired charge carrier concentrations. The metal oxide channel material may be deposited by atomic layering of multiple constituent metals with an oxidation of each layer. Such an ALD process may be performed by cyclically depositing a precursor of one of the metals upon a substrate during a deposition phase, and oxidizing the absorbed precursor during an oxidation phase. For a quinary metal oxide, each of three metal precursors may be introduced and oxidized during the ALD process, and charge carrier concentrations may be modulated by further introducing a fourth metal precursor during the ALD process in a manner that disperses this dopant metal within the film at a significantly lower chemical concentration than the other metals.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2021Date of Patent: November 11, 2025Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Chieh-Jen Ku, Andre Baran, Bernhard Sell, David Goldstein, Timothy Jen
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Patent number: 12446208Abstract: A device structure includes a first interconnect line along a longitudinal direction and a second interconnect line parallel to the first interconnect line, where the first interconnect structure is within a first metallization level and the second interconnect line is within a second metallization level. A first transistor and a laterally separated second transistor are on a same plane above the second interconnect line, where a gate of the first transistor is coupled to the first interconnect line and a gate of the second transistor is coupled to the second interconnect line. A first capacitor is coupled to a first terminal of the first transistor and a second capacitor is coupled to a first terminal of the second transistor. A third interconnect line couples a second terminal of the first transistor with a second terminal of the second transistor.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2021Date of Patent: October 14, 2025Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Juan G. Alzate-Vinasco, Travis W. LaJoie, Elliot N. Tan, Kimberly Pierce, Shem Ogadhoh, Abhishek A. Sharma, Bernhard Sell, Pei-Hua Wang, Chieh-Jen Ku
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Patent number: 12426247Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques for a semiconductor device including a substrate. A first capacitor includes a first top plate and a first bottom plate above the substrate. The first top plate is coupled to a first metal electrode within an inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer to access the first capacitor. A second capacitor includes a second top plate and a second bottom plate, where the second top plate is coupled to a second metal electrode within the ILD layer to access the second capacitor. The second metal electrode is disjoint from the first metal electrode. The first capacitor is accessed through the first metal electrode without accessing the second capacitor through the second metal electrode. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2023Date of Patent: September 23, 2025Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Travis W. Lajoie, Abhishek A. Sharma, Van H. Le, Chieh-Jen Ku, Pei-Hua Wang, Jack T. Kavalieros, Bernhard Sell, Tahir Ghani, Gregory George, Akash Garg, Allen B. Gardiner, Shem Ogadhoh, Juan G. Alzate Vinasco, Umut Arslan, Fatih Hamzaoglu, Nikhil Mehta, Jared Stoeger, Yu-Wen Huang, Shu Zhou
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Patent number: 12376342Abstract: A thin film transistor (TFT) structure includes a gate electrode, a gate dielectric layer on the gate electrode, a channel layer including a semiconductor material with a first polarity on the gate dielectric layer. The TFT structure also includes a multi-layer material stack on the channel layer, opposite the gate dielectric layer, an interlayer dielectric (ILD) material over the multi-layer material stack and beyond a sidewall of the channel layer. The TFT structure further includes source and drain contacts through the interlayer dielectric material, and in contact with the channel layer, where the multi-layer material stack includes a barrier layer including oxygen and a metal in contact with the channel layer, where the barrier layer has a second polarity. A sealant layer is in contact with the barrier layer, where the sealant layer and the ILD have a different composition.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2024Date of Patent: July 29, 2025Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Abhishek A. Sharma, Arnab Sen Gupta, Travis W. LaJoie, Sarah Atanasov, Chieh-Jen Ku, Bernhard Sell, Noriyuki Sato, Van Le, Matthew Metz, Hui Jae Yoo, Pei-Hua Wang
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Patent number: 12238913Abstract: Described herein are two transistor (2T) memory cells that use TFTs as access and gain transistors. When one or both transistors of a 2T memory cell are implemented as TFTs, these transistors may be provided in different layers above a substrate, enabling a stacked architecture. An example 2T memory cell includes an access TFT provided in a first layer over a substrate, and a gain TFT provided in a second layer over the substrate, the first layer being between the substrate and the second layer (i.e., the gain TFT is stacked in a layer above the access TFT). Stacked TFT based 2T memory cells allow increasing density of memory cells in a memory array having a given footprint area, or, conversely, reducing the footprint area of the memory array with a given memory cell density.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2023Date of Patent: February 25, 2025Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Abhishek A. Sharma, Juan G. Alzate-Vinasco, Fatih Hamzaoglu, Bernhard Sell, Pei-hua Wang, Van H. Le, Jack T. Kavalieros, Tahir Ghani, Umut Arslan, Travis W. Lajoie, Chieh-jen Ku
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Publication number: 20250029926Abstract: Methods and associated structures of forming a microelectronic device are described. Those methods may include forming a structure comprising a first contact metal disposed on a source/drain contact of a substrate, and a second contact metal disposed on a top surface of the first contact metal, wherein the second contact metal is disposed within an ILD disposed on a top surface of a metal gate disposed on the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2024Publication date: January 23, 2025Inventors: Bernhard SELL, Oleg GOLONZKA
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Patent number: 12205947Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, buried channel structures integrated with non-planar structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a first fin structure and a second fin structure above a substrate. A gate structure is on a portion of the substrate directly between the first fin structure and the second fin structure. A source region is in the first fin structure. A drain region is in the second fin structure.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2023Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Guannan Liu, Akm A. Ahsan, Mark Armstrong, Bernhard Sell
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Publication number: 20250006495Abstract: A method for manufacturing integrated circuit (IC) devices includes forming first and second mask patterns with overlapping and non-overlapping features. Non-overlapping features may be removed before etching a target material layer. A third mask pattern may be formed from the overlapping features and used to etch a target material layer. The third mask pattern may be employed to make regular arrays of substantially rectangular structures. An IC device may include an IC die, an array of structures on a layer of the IC die, and multiple groups of parallel stripes of indentations or depressions in the layer. The structures may each include a transistor and a capacitor.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2023Publication date: January 2, 2025Applicant: Intel CorporationInventors: Allen Gardiner, Nikhil Mehta, Shu Zhou, Travis LaJoie, Shem Ogadhoh, Akash Garg, Van Le, Christopher Pelto, Bernhard Sell
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Patent number: 12176147Abstract: Disclosed herein are IC structures with three-dimensional capacitors with double metal electrodes provided in a support structure (e.g., a substrate, a die, a wafer, or a chip). An example three-dimensional capacitor includes first and second capacitor electrodes and a capacitor insulator between them. Each capacitor electrode includes a planar portion extending across the support structure and one or more via portions extending into one or more via openings in the support structure. The capacitor insulator also includes a planar portion and a via portion extending into the via opening(s). The planar portion of the capacitor electrodes are thicker than the via portions. Each capacitor electrode may be deposited using two deposition processes, such as a conformal deposition process for depositing the via portion of the electrode, and a sputter process for depositing the planar portion of the electrode.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2021Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: James D. Waldemer, Matthieu Giraud-Carrier, Bernhard Sell, Travis W. Lajoie, Wilfred Gomes, Abhishek A. Sharma
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Patent number: 12176284Abstract: An interconnect structure is disclosed. The interconnect structure includes a first metal interconnect in a bottom dielectric layer, a via that extends through a top dielectric layer, a metal plate, an intermediate dielectric layer, and an etch stop layer, and a metal in the via to extend through the top dielectric layer, the metal plate, the intermediate dielectric layer and the etch stop layer to the top surface of the first metal interconnect. The metal plate is coupled to an MIM capacitor that is parallel to the via. The second metal interconnect is on top of the metal in the via.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2021Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Travis Lajoie, Abhishek Sharma, Juan Alzate-Vinasco, Chieh-Jen Ku, Shem Ogadhoh, Allen Gardiner, Blake Lin, Yih Wang, Pei-Hua Wang, Jack T. Kavalieros, Bernhard Sell, Tahir Ghani
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Patent number: 12148734Abstract: Disclosed herein are transistors, memory cells, and arrangements thereof. For example, in some embodiments, an integrated circuit (IC) structure may include a plurality of transistors, wherein the transistors are distributed in a hexagonally packed arrangement. In another example, in some embodiments, an IC structure may include a memory cell including an axially symmetric transistor coupled to an axially symmetric capacitor, wherein the axis of the transistor is aligned with the axis of the capacitor.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2020Date of Patent: November 19, 2024Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Sarah Atanasov, Abhishek A. Sharma, Bernhard Sell, Chieh-Jen Ku, Elliot Tan, Hui Jae Yoo, Noriyuki Sato, Travis W. Lajoie, Van H. Le, Thoe Michaelos
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Patent number: 12150297Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) structure in a memory device is described. In an example, the IC structure includes a memory cell including a bitline (BL) extending along a first direction and a channel extending along a second direction above and diagonal to the BL. In the example, a wordline (WL) extends in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction of the BL and intersects with the channel to control a current in the channel along a gated channel length. In some examples, the channel is electrically coupled on a first side to a storage capacitor via a storage node contact (SNC) and on a second side to the BL via a bit line contact (BLC) located on an underside or backside of the channel.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2020Date of Patent: November 19, 2024Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Noriyuki Sato, Sarah Atanasov, Abhishek A. Sharma, Bernhard Sell, Chieh-Jen Ku, Arnab Sen Gupta, Matthew V. Metz, Elliot N. Tan, Hui Jae Yoo, Travis W. Lajoie, Van H. Le, Pei-Hua Wang
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Patent number: 12142566Abstract: Methods and associated structures of forming a microelectronic device are described. Those methods may include forming a structure comprising a first contact metal disposed on a source/drain contact of a substrate, and a second contact metal disposed on a top surface of the first contact metal, wherein the second contact metal is disposed within an ILD disposed on a top surface of a metal gate disposed on the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2023Date of Patent: November 12, 2024Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Bernhard Sell, Oleg Golonzka
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Patent number: 12080781Abstract: Thin film transistors fabricated using a spacer as a fin are described. In an example, a method of forming a fin transistor structure includes patterning a plurality of backbone pillars on a semiconductor substrate. The method may then include conformally depositing a spacer layer over the plurality of backbone pillars and the semiconductor substrate. A spacer etch of the spacer layer is then performed to leave a sidewall of the spacer layer on a backbone pillar to form a fin of the fin transistor structure. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2020Date of Patent: September 3, 2024Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Noriyuki Sato, Sarah Atanasov, Abhishek A. Sharma, Bernhard Sell, Chieh-Jen Ku, Elliot N. Tan, Hui Jae Yoo, Travis W. Lajoie, Van H. Le, Pei-Hua Wang, Jason Peck, Tobias Brown-Heft