Patents by Inventor Chi Tu

Chi Tu 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: 10930333
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a memory structure. The memory structure has a source region and a drain region disposed within a substrate. A select gate disposed over the substrate between the source region and the drain region. A ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) device is disposed over the substrate between the select gate and the source region. The FeRAM device includes a ferroelectric material arranged between the substrate and a conductive electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tzu-Yu Chen, Kuo-Chi Tu, Wen-Ting Chu, Yong-Shiuan Tsair
  • Publication number: 20210035993
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a structure includes one or more first transistors in a first region of a device, the one or more first transistors supporting a memory access function of the device. The structure includes one or more ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) capacitors in a first inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer over the one or more first transistors in the first region. The structure also includes one or more metal-ferroelectric insulator-metal (MFM) decoupling capacitors in the first IMD layer in a second region of the device. The MFM capacitors may include two or more capacitors coupled in series to act as a voltage divider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Tzu-Yu Chen, Kuo-Chi Tu, Fu-Chen Chang, Chih-Hsiang Chang, Sheng-Hung Shih
  • Publication number: 20210036057
    Abstract: An RRAM cell stack is formed over an opening in a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is sufficiently thick and the opening is sufficiently deep that an RRAM cell can be formed by a planarization process. The resulting RRAM cells may have a U-shaped profile. The RRAM cell area includes contributions from a bottom portion in which the RRAM cell layers are stacked parallel to the substrate and a side portion in which RRAM cell layers are stacked roughly perpendicular to the substrate. The combined side and bottom portions of the curved RRAM cell provide an increased area in comparison to a planar cell stack. The increased area lowers forming and set voltages for the RRAM cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Te-Hsien Hsieh, Tzu-Yu Chen, Kuo-Chi Tu, Yuan-Tai Tseng
  • Publication number: 20210035992
    Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes a plurality of lower interconnect layers disposed within a lower dielectric structure over a substrate. A lower insulating structure is over the lower dielectric structure and has sidewalls extending through the lower insulating structure. A bottom electrode is arranged along the sidewalls and an upper surface of the lower insulating structure. The upper surface of the lower insulating structure extends past outermost sidewalls of the bottom electrode. A data storage structure is disposed on the bottom electrode and is configured to store a data state. A top electrode is disposed on the data storage structure. The bottom electrode has interior sidewalls coupled to a horizontally extending surface to define a recess within an upper surface of the bottom electrode. The horizontally extending surface is below the upper surface of the lower insulating structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Tzu-Yu Chen, Kuo-Chi Tu, Sheng-Hung Shih, Wen-Ting Chu, Chih-Hsiang Chang, Fu-Chen Chang
  • Patent number: 10903274
    Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit has a first inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer over a substrate. A lower electrode is over the first ILD layer, a data storage structure is over the lower electrode, and an upper electrode is over the data storage structure. An upper interconnect wire directly contacts an entirety of an upper surface of the upper electrode. A conductive via directly contacts an upper surface of the upper interconnect wire. The conductive via has an outermost sidewall that is directly over the upper surface of the upper interconnect wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsia-Wei Chen, Chih-Yang Chang, Chin-Chieh Yang, Jen-Sheng Yang, Kuo-Chi Tu, Wen-Ting Chu, Yu-Wen Liao
  • Patent number: 10879391
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a ferroelectric memory device. The ferroelectric memory device includes a pair of source/drain regions disposed in a semiconductor substrate. A gate dielectric is disposed over the semiconductor substrate and between the source/drain regions. A first conductive structure is disposed on the gate dielectric. A ferroelectric structure is disposed on the first conductive structure. A second conductive structure is disposed on the ferroelectric structure, where both the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure have an overall electronegativity that is greater than or equal to an overall electronegativity of the ferroelectric structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mickey Hsieh, Chun-Yang Tsai, Kuo-Ching Huang, Kuo-Chi Tu, Pili Huang, Cheng-Jun Wu, Chao-Yang Chen
  • Patent number: 10868250
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a memory region. A memory structure is disposed on the memory region. The memory structure includes a first electrode, a resistance variable layer, protection spacers and a second electrode. The first electrode has a top surface and a first outer sidewall surface on the memory region. The resistance variable layer has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed over the top surface of the first electrode and the second portion extends upwardly from the first portion. The protection spacers are disposed over a portion of the top surface of the first electrode and surround the second portion of the resistance variable layer. The protection spacers are configurable to protect at least one conductive path in the resistance variable layer. The protection spacers have a second outer sidewall surface substantially aligned with the first outer sidewall surface of the first electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo-Chi Tu, Chih-Yang Chang, Hsia-Wei Chen, Chin-Chieh Yang, Sheng-Hung Shih, Wen-Chun You, Wen-Ting Chu, Yu-Wen Liao
  • Publication number: 20200388755
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present application are directed towards a resistive random-access memory (RRAM) cell comprising a barrier layer to constrain the movement of metal cations during operation of the RRAM cell. In some embodiments, the RRAM cell further comprises a bottom electrode, a top electrode, a switching layer, and an active metal layer. The switching layer, the barrier layer, and the active metal layer are stacked between the bottom and top electrodes, and the barrier layer is between the switching and active metal layers. The barrier layer is conductive and between has a lattice constant less than that of the active metal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Fu-Chen Chang, Kuo-Chi Tu, Wen-Ting Chu, Chu-Jie Huang
  • Patent number: 10862029
    Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a device. The device includes a top electrode and a via disposed over the top electrode. A peripheral upper surface of the top electrode is above a central upper surface of the top electrode, and a tapered inner sidewall of the top electrode connects the peripheral upper surface to the central upper surface. The via establishes electrical contact with the tapered inner sidewall but is spaced apart from the central upper surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsia-Wei Chen, Wen-Ting Chu, Kuo-Chi Tu, Chih-Yang Chang, Chin-Chieh Yang, Yu-Wen Liao, Wen-Chun You, Sheng-Hung Shih
  • Publication number: 20200381622
    Abstract: A memory cell and method including a first electrode formed through a first opening in a first dielectric layer, a resistive layer formed on the first electrode, a spacing layer formed on the resistive layer, a second electrode formed on the resistive layer, and a second dielectric layer formed on the second electrode, the second dielectric layer including a second opening. The first dielectric layer formed on a substrate including a first metal layer. The first electrode and the resistive layer collectively include a first lip region that extends a first distance beyond the first opening. The second electrode and the second dielectric layer collectively include a second lip region that extends a second distance beyond the first opening. The spacing layer extends from the second distance to the first distance. The second electrode is coupled to a second metal layer using a via that extends through the second opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Chih-Yang Chang, Hsia-Wei Chen, Chin-Chieh Yang, Kuo-Chi Tu, Wen-Ting Chu, Yu-Wen Liao
  • Patent number: 10847606
    Abstract: A system-on-chip (SOC) device comprises a first capacitor in a first region, a second capacitor in a second region, and may further comprise a third capacitor in a third region, and any additional number of capacitors in additional regions. The capacitors may be of different shapes and sizes. A region may comprise more than one capacitor. Each capacitor in a region has a top electrode, a bottom electrode, and a capacitor insulator. The top electrodes of all the capacitors are formed in a common process, while the bottom electrodes of all the capacitors are formed in a common process. The capacitor insulator may have different number of sub-layers, formed with different materials or different thickness. The capacitors may be formed in an inter-layer dielectric layer or in an inter-metal dielectric layer. The regions may be a mixed signal region, an analog region, a radio frequency region, a dynamic random access memory region, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo-Chi Tu, Wen-Chuan Chiang, Chen-Jong Wang
  • Publication number: 20200357927
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a ferroelectric memory device. The ferroelectric memory device includes a pair of source/drain regions disposed in a semiconductor substrate. A gate dielectric is disposed over the semiconductor substrate and between the source/drain regions. A first conductive structure is disposed on the gate dielectric. A ferroelectric structure is disposed on the first conductive structure. A second conductive structure is disposed on the ferroelectric structure, where both the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure have an overall electronegativity that is greater than or equal to an overall electronegativity of the ferroelectric structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Mickey Hsieh, Chun-Yang Tsai, Kuo-Ching Huang, Kuo-Chi Tu, Pili Huang, Cheng-Jun Wu, Chao-Yang Chen
  • Publication number: 20200357928
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a memory circuit and a logic circuit. The memory circuit includes a word line, a bit line, a common line and a memory transistor having a gate coupled to the word line, a drain coupled to the bit line and a source coupled to the common line. The logic circuit includes a field effect transistor (FET) having a gate, a drain and a source. The memory transistor has a gate electrode layer formed on a gate dielectric layer, and the gate dielectric layer includes a first insulating layer and a first ferroelectric (FE) material layer. The FET has a gate electrode layer formed on a gate dielectric layer, and the gate dielectric layer includes a second insulating layer and a second FE material layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Kuo-Chi TU, Jen-Sheng YANG, Sheng-Hung SHIH, Tong-Chern ONG, Wen-Ting CHU
  • Publication number: 20200343265
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated chip including one or more lower interconnect layers arranged within one or more stacked inter-layer dielectric layers over a substrate. A bottom electrode is disposed over the one or more interconnect layers, and a top electrode is disposed over the bottom electrode. A ferroelectric layer is disposed between and contacts a first surface of the bottom electrode and a second surface of the top electrode. The ferroelectric layer includes a protrusion that extends past outer surfaces of the top electrode and the bottom electrode along a first direction that is perpendicular to a second direction that is normal to the first surface. The protrusion is confined between lines that extend along the first and second surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Chih-Hsiang Chang, Kuo-Chi Tu, Sheng-Hung Shih, Wen-Ting Chu, Tzu-Yu Chen, Fu-Chen Chang
  • Publication number: 20200335694
    Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a memory device. The memory device includes a dielectric protection layer having sidewalls defining an opening over a conductive interconnect within an inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer. A bottom electrode structure extends from within the opening to directly over the dielectric protection layer. A variable resistance layer is over the bottom electrode structure and a top electrode is over the variable resistance layer. A top electrode via is disposed on the top electrode and directly over the dielectric protection layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Chih-Yang Chang, Wen-Ting Chu, Kuo-Chi Tu, Yu-Wen Liao, Hsia-Wei Chen, Chin-Chieh Yang, Sheng-Hung Shih, Wen-Chun You
  • Patent number: 10804444
    Abstract: A light-emitting device including at least one light-emitting unit, a wavelength conversion adhesive layer, and a reflective protecting element is provided. The light-emitting unit has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other. The light-emitting unit includes two electrode pads, and the two electrode pads are located on the lower surface. The wavelength conversion adhesive layer is disposed on the upper surface. The wavelength conversion adhesive layer includes a low-concentration fluorescent layer and a high-concentration fluorescent layer. The high-concentration fluorescent layer is located between the low-concentration fluorescent layer and the light-emitting unit. The width of the high-concentration fluorescent layer is WH. The width of the low-concentration fluorescent layer is WL. The width of the light-emitting unit is WE. The light-emitting device further satisfies the following inequalities: WE<WL, WH<WL and 0.8<WH/WE?1.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Genesis Photonics Inc.
    Inventors: Cheng-Wei Hung, Long-Chi Tu, Jui-Fu Chang, Chun-Ming Tseng, Yun-Chu Chen
  • Patent number: 10796759
    Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a method of operating a resistive random access memory (RRAM) array. The method includes applying a word-line voltage to a selected word-line during a read operation. A non-zero voltage is applied to a selected bit-line during the read operation. A first voltage is applied to a selected source-line during the read operation. The first voltage is smaller than a second voltage applied to an unselected source-line during the read operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chin-Chieh Yang, Chih-Yang Chang, Chang-Sheng Liao, Hsia-Wei Chen, Jen-Sheng Yang, Kuo-Chi Tu, Sheng-Hung Shih, Wen-Ting Chu, Manish Kumar Singh, Chi-Tsai Chen
  • Publication number: 20200306923
    Abstract: A polishing pad is provided. The polishing surface of the polishing pad corresponds to a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system having a first coordinate direction and a second coordinate direction, the rotating axis of the polishing pad corresponds to the original point of the two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, and the polishing pad includes a polishing layer and a surface pattern. The surface pattern is disposed in the polishing layer, and includes at least one first groove and at least one second groove respectively distributing along the first coordinate direction, wherein the at least one first groove has a first cutting trajectory direction, the first cutting trajectory direction is forward with the first coordinate direction, and the at least one second groove has a second cutting trajectory direction, the second cutting trajectory direction is reverse with the first coordinate direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: IV Technologies CO., Ltd.
    Inventors: Liang-Chi Tu, Yu-Piao Wang
  • Patent number: 10763270
    Abstract: A method for forming an integrated circuit (IC) and an IC are disclosed. The method for forming the IC includes: forming an isolation structure separating a memory semiconductor region from a logic semiconductor region; forming a memory cell structure on the memory semiconductor region; forming a memory capping layer covering the memory cell structure and the logic semiconductor region; performing a first etch into the memory capping layer to remove the memory capping layer from the logic semiconductor region, and to define a slanted, logic-facing sidewall on the isolation structure; forming a logic device structure on the logic semiconductor region; and performing a second etch into the memory capping layer to remove the memory capping layer from the memory semiconductor, while leaving a dummy segment of the memory capping layer that defines the logic-facing sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tzu-Yu Chen, Kuo-Chi Tu, Wen-Ting Chu, Yong-Shiuan Tsair
  • Patent number: 10749108
    Abstract: A memory cell and method including a first electrode formed through a first opening in a first dielectric layer, a resistive layer formed on the first electrode, a spacing layer formed on the resistive layer, a second electrode formed on the resistive layer, and a second dielectric layer formed on the second electrode, the second dielectric layer including a second opening. The first dielectric layer formed on a substrate including a first metal layer. The first electrode and the resistive layer collectively include a first lip region that extends a first distance beyond the first opening. The second electrode and the second dielectric layer collectively include a second lip region that extends a second distance beyond the first opening. The spacing layer extends from the second distance to the first distance. The second electrode is coupled to a second metal layer using a via that extends through the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chih-Yang Chang, Hsia-Wei Chen, Chin-Chieh Yang, Kuo-Chi Tu, Wen-Ting Chu, Yu-Wen Liao