Patents by Inventor Cheol Kyun Kim

Cheol Kyun Kim 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: 8440570
    Abstract: The invention defines a pillar pattern or an island pattern by forming a contact hole and filling the contact hole with a hard mask material by using a spacer formation process, so that the mask pattern formation process margin for island (e.g., pillar) pattern formation is increased. Accordingly, the yield and reliability of the formation process of a semiconductor device are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8429587
    Abstract: A method for decomposing a designed pattern layout and a method for fabricating an exposure mask using the same. After the designed pattern layout is automatically decomposed to obtain a plurality of mask layouts, a problematic region is determined through simulation of the mask layout, and fed back to correct the designed pattern layout. As a result, problems can be detected in each process and corrected to reduce the process time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8266555
    Abstract: A weak point detecting method of the present invention designs a target layout, and compensates an optical proximity effect for the target layout, thereafter, verifies the target layout in which the optical proximity effect is compensated by using an NILS of the target layout, thereby, enabling to reduce the time and cost in detecting a weak point for a full chip regardless of the size and form of a pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc
    Inventor: Cheol kyun Kim
  • Publication number: 20120167018
    Abstract: A method for decomposing a designed pattern layout and a method for fabricating an exposure mask using the same. After the designed pattern layout is automatically decomposed to obtain a plurality of mask layouts, a problematic region is determined through simulation of the mask layout, and fed back to correct the designed pattern layout. As a result, problems can be detected in each process and corrected to reduce the process time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8151222
    Abstract: A method for decomposing a designed pattern layout and a method for fabricating an exposure mask using the same. After the designed pattern layout is automatically decomposed to obtain a plurality of mask layouts, a problematic region is determined through simulation of the mask layout, and fed back to correct the designed pattern layout. As a result, problems can be detected in each process and corrected to reduce the process time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8114557
    Abstract: Provided is a method for optical proximity correction for use in manufacturing highly resolved semiconductor chips. The method includes setting a target layout; setting a peculiar area; sorting the peculiar area from the target layout; generating a marking layer; resetting a critical dimension (CD) of a peculiar pattern; compensating an optical proximity effect; and manufacturing a mask. The method provides an improved way of improving more accurately CD uniformity by performing optical proximity correction with respect to a pattern to which a bias rule is difficult to apply due to an absence of an adjacent pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8042068
    Abstract: A method for processing optical proximity correction includes preparing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) map; extracting calibration data depending on a focus degree with the CMP map; and correcting optical proximity with the calibration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Publication number: 20100248089
    Abstract: Provided is a method for optical proximity correction for use in manufacturing highly resolved semiconductor chips. The method includes setting a target layout; setting a peculiar area; sorting the peculiar area from the target layout; generating a marking layer; resetting a critical dimension (CD) of a peculiar pattern; compensating an optical proximity effect; and manufacturing a mask. The method provides an improved way of improving more accurately CD uniformity by performing optical proximity correction with respect to a pattern to which a bias rule is difficult to apply due to an absence of an adjacent pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun KIM
  • Patent number: 7803677
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, particularly a vertical transistor, including forming a contact hole and forming a pillar using an epitaxial growth process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Publication number: 20100162195
    Abstract: A weak point detecting method of the present invention designs a target layout, and compensates an optical proximity effect for the target layout, thereafter, verifies the target layout in which the optical proximity effect is compensated by using an NILS of the target layout, thereby, enabling to reduce the time and cost in detecting a weak point for a full chip regardless of the size and form of a pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun KIM
  • Publication number: 20100017779
    Abstract: A method for decomposing a designed pattern layout and a method for fabricating an exposure mask using the same. After the designed pattern layout is automatically decomposed to obtain a plurality of mask layouts, a problematic region is determined through simulation of the mask layout, and fed back to correct the designed pattern layout. As a result, problems can be detected in each process and corrected to reduce the process time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Publication number: 20090235224
    Abstract: A method for processing optical proximity correction includes preparing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) map; extracting calibration data depending on a focus degree with the CMP map; and correcting optical proximity with the calibration data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Publication number: 20090176340
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, particularly a vertical transistor, including forming a contact hole and forming a pillar using an epitaxial growth process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Publication number: 20090111273
    Abstract: The invention defines a pillar pattern or an island pattern by forming a contact hole and filling the contact hole with a hard mask material by using a spacer formation process, so that the mask pattern formation process margin for island (e.g., pillar) pattern formation is increased. Accordingly, the yield and reliability of the formation process of a semiconductor device are improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 6974649
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a stencil mask for non-optical lithography and a method for fabricating such a mask. The disclosed stencil mask includes a frame for supporting the whole structure; a membrane disposed on the frame for equalizing stresses resulting from the electron beam; and a scattering layer pattern disposed on the membrane for scattering the electron beam. The scattering layer pattern includes regions of varying thickness and/or scattering performance that permit the exposure to be adjusted for areas having greater or lesser pattern density. These adjustments can reduce defects resulting from proximity effects, improve the uniformity of critical features, and improve the yield and reliability of the resulting devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 6447688
    Abstract: Disclosed is a novel method for fabricating a stencil mask comprising the formation of an absorber pattern, including an alignment key or target, on the topside of an SOI wafer having a transparent buried insulating layer. The formation of the absorber pattern is followed by the formation of an alignment window from the backside of the SOI wafer using the insulating layer as a lens. The alignment window allows the alignment between the absorber pattern and the frame pattern to be verified, using light passing through the window lens and illuminating the alignment key, before initiating the frame etch, thereby improving the quality and/or throughput of the stencil mask manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Publication number: 20020012852
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a stencil mask for non-optical lithography and a method for fabricating such a mask. The disclosed stencil mask includes a frame for supporting the whole structure; a membrane disposed on the frame for equalizing stresses resulting from the electron beam; and a scattering layer pattern disposed on the membrane for scattering the electron beam. The scattering layer pattern includes regions of varying thickness and/or scattering performance that permit the exposure to be adjusted for areas having greater or lesser pattern density. These adjustments can reduce defects resulting from proximity effects, improve the uniformity of critical features, and improve the yield and reliability of the resulting devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Publication date: January 31, 2002
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Publication number: 20010046776
    Abstract: Disclosed is a novel method for fabricating a stencil mask comprising the formation of an absorber pattern, including an alignment key or target, on the topside of an SOI wafer having a transparent buried insulating layer. The formation of the absorber pattern is followed by the formation of an alignment window from the backside of the SOI wafer using the insulating layer as a lens. The alignment window allows the alignment between the absorber pattern and the frame pattern to be verified, using light passing through the window lens and illuminating the alignment key, before initiating the frame etch, thereby improving the quality and/or throughput of the stencil mask manufacturing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 6316151
    Abstract: A stencil mask used as an exposure mask in a non-optical lithography process using an electron beam, X-ray or ion beam as a light source, comprising: a membrane; and a layer formed over the membrane, for scattering or absorbing electrons, wherein the layer for scattering or absorbing has a multi-layered structure in which two or more layers comprised of different materials are stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheol Kyun Kim, Ki Ho Baik
  • Patent number: 6210842
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of fabricating a stencil mask to be used in an E-beam lithographic process. The method comprises, after forming a silicon nitride film over the entire surface of a wafer, a step of dividing the silicon nitride film into at least two sub-portions to form silicon nitride film patterns. A stress applied to the silicon nitride film is thus reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Cheol Kyun Kim