Patents by Inventor Chung-Liang Cheng

Chung-Liang Cheng 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: 12094927
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to gate-all-around (GAA) transistor structures with a low level of leakage current and low power consumption. For example, the GAA transistor includes a semiconductor layer with a first source/drain (S/D) epitaxial structure and a second S/D epitaxial structure disposed thereon, where the first and second S/D epitaxial structures are spaced apart by semiconductor nano-sheet layers. The semiconductor structure further includes isolation structures interposed between the semiconductor layer and each of the first and second S/D epitaxial structures. The GAA transistor further includes a gate stack surrounding the semiconductor nano-sheet layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yen-Yu Chen, Chung-Liang Cheng
  • Patent number: 12074207
    Abstract: A device comprises a substrate, a semiconductor channel over the substrate, and a gate structure over and laterally surrounding the semiconductor channel. The gate structure comprises a first dielectric layer comprising a first dielectric material including dopants. A second dielectric layer is on the first dielectric layer, and comprises a second dielectric material substantially free of the dopants. A metal fill layer is over the second dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chung-Liang Cheng
  • Publication number: 20240282859
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and methods of fabricating the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a fin structure disposed on the substrate, a source/drain (S/D) region disposed on the fin structure, and a gate structure disposed on the fin structure adjacent to the S/D region. The gate structure includes a gate stack disposed on the fin structure and a gate capping structure disposed on the gate stack. The gate capping structure includes a conductive gate cap disposed on the gate stack and an insulating gate cap disposed on the conductive gate cap. The semiconductor device further includes a first contact structure disposed within the gate capping structure and a first via structure disposed on the first contact structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung-Liang CHENG, Sheng-Tsung Wang, Haung-Lin Chao
  • Publication number: 20240282806
    Abstract: A thin film resistor (TFR) is provided. The thin film resistor includes: a first insulator layer; a silicon chromium (SiCr) thin film disposed on the first insulator layer, an oxidation prevention layer disposed on the SiCr thin film; and a first contact structure and a second contact structure disposed on the oxidation prevention layer. The oxidation prevention layer is operable to prevent the SiCr thin film from being oxidized during a wet etching process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventors: Guanyu Luo, Chung-Liang Cheng, Sheng-Chau Chen
  • Publication number: 20240282627
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with liner-free contact structures and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The method includes forming first and second source/drain (S/D) regions on first and second fin structures, forming a first dielectric layer between the first and second S/D regions, forming first and second gate-all-around (GAA) structures on the first and second fin structures, forming a second dielectric layer on the first and second GAA structures and the first dielectric layer, forming a tapered trench opening in the second dielectric layer and on the first and second GAA structures and the first dielectric layer, selectively forming a seed layer on top surfaces of the first and second GAA structures and the first dielectric layer that are exposed in the tapered trench opening, and selectively depositing a conductive layer on the seed layer to fill the tapered trench opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Peng-Soon LIM, Chung-Liang Cheng, Huang-Lin Chao
  • Publication number: 20240274473
    Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a source/drain epitaxial feature disposed over a substrate, a plurality of semiconductor layers disposed parallelly to each other and in contact with the source/drain epitaxial feature, a gate electrode layer surrounding a portion of each of the plurality of semiconductor layers, and a dielectric region in the substrate below the source/drain epitaxial feature. The dielectric region includes a first oxidation region having a first dopant, and a second oxidation region having a second dopant different than the first dopant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventors: I-Ming CHANG, Jung-Hung CHANG, Yao-Sheng HUANG, Huang-Lin CHAO, Chung-Liang CHENG, Hsiang-Pi CHANG
  • Patent number: 12057478
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with different gate structure configurations and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes first and second pair of source/drain regions disposed on a substrate, first and second nanostructured channel regions, and first and second gate structures with effective work function values different from each other. The first and second gate structures include first and second high-K gate dielectric layers, first and second barrier metal layers with thicknesses different from each, first and second work function metal (WFM) oxide layers with thicknesses substantially equal to each other disposed on the first and second barrier metal layers, respectively, a first dipole layer disposed between the first WFM oxide layer and the first barrier metal layer, and a second dipole layer disposed between the second WFM oxide layer and the second barrier metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yen-Yu Chen, Chung-Liang Cheng
  • Patent number: 12052874
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first stack of semiconductor layers on a substrate. The first stack of semiconductor layers includes alternating first and second semiconductor strips. The method also includes removing the first semiconductor strips to form voids between the second semiconductor strips in the first stack of semiconductor layers. The method further includes depositing a dielectric structure layer and a first conductive fill material in the voids to surround the second semiconductor strips. Further, the method includes removing the second semiconductor strips to form a second set of voids, and depositing a second conductive fill material in the second sets of voids. In some embodiments, the first conductive fill material and the second conductive fill material are configured to form first and second electrodes of a capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Chung-Liang Cheng
  • Patent number: 12051746
    Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate stack over the substrate. The gate stack includes a first dielectric layer, a work function layer, and a gate electrode sequentially stacked over the substrate, the first dielectric layer has a thin portion and a thick portion, the thin portion is thinner than the thick portion and surrounds the thick portion, and the first dielectric layer is a single-layer structure. The semiconductor device structure includes an insulating layer over the substrate and wrapping around the gate stack. The thin portion is between the thick portion and the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung-Liang Cheng, Ziwei Fang
  • Patent number: 12040375
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a multi-silicide structure comprising at least two conformal silicide layers. The multi-silicide structure may include a first conformal silicide layer on a source/drain, a second conformal silicide layer on the first conformal silicide layer, and a capping layer over the second conformal silicide layer. The semiconductor device includes a contact structure on the multi-silicide structure. The semiconductor device includes a dielectric material around the contact structure. In some implementations, a controller may determine etch process parameters to be used by an etch tool to perform an iteration of an atomic layer etch (ALE) process on the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Chung-Liang Cheng
  • Patent number: 12040364
    Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate stack over the substrate. The gate stack includes a gate dielectric layer, a first metal-containing layer, a silicon-containing layer, a second metal-containing layer, and a gate electrode layer sequentially stacked over the substrate, the silicon-containing layer is between the first metal-containing layer and the second metal-containing layer, and the silicon-containing layer includes an oxide material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsueh-Wen Tsau, Chun-I Wu, Ziwei Fang, Huang-Lin Chao, I-Ming Chang, Chung-Liang Cheng, Chih-Cheng Lin
  • Publication number: 20240234460
    Abstract: An electrode controls transmittance of a blocking layer over a photodiode of a pixel sensor (e.g., a photodiode of a small pixel detector) by changing oxidation of a metal material included in the blocking layer. By using the electrode to adjust transmittance of the blocking layer, pixel sensors for different uses and/or products may be produced using a single manufacturing process. As a result, power and processing resources are conserved that otherwise would have been expended in switching manufacturing processes. Additionally, production time is decreased (e.g., by eliminating downtime that would otherwise have been used to reconfigure fabrication machines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2024
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Li-Wen HUANG, Chung-Liang CHENG, Ping-Hao LIN, Kuo-Cheng LEE
  • Publication number: 20240234487
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods of forming the same are provided. A semiconductor structure of the present disclosure includes a contact feature disposed in a first dielectric layer, a first etch stop layer (ESL) over the contact feature and the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer over the first ESL, a second ESL over the second dielectric layer, a third dielectric layer over the second ESL, a third ESL over the third dielectric layer, a fourth dielectric layer over the third ESL, and a capacitor. The capacitor includes a bottom electrode layer continuously extending along a top surface of the fourth dielectric layer and vertically through the fourth dielectric layer, the third ESL, the third dielectric layer, the second ESL, the second dielectric layer, and the first ESL, an insulator layer disposed over the bottom electrode, and a top electrode layer disposed over the insulator layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Wei-Hang Huang, Chung-Liang Cheng
  • Publication number: 20240213098
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with different gate structure configurations and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The method includes forming first and second nanostructured channel regions on first and second fin structures, forming first and second oxide layers with first and second thicknesses, forming a dielectric layer with first and second layer portions on the first and second oxide layers, forming first and second capping layers with first and second oxygen diffusivities on the first and second layer portions, growing the first and second oxide layers to have third and fourth thicknesses, and forming a gate metal fill layer over the dielectric layer. The first and second thicknesses are substantially equal to each other and the first and second oxide layers surround the first and second nanostructured channel regions. The second oxygen diffusivity is higher than the first oxygen diffusivity. The fourth thickness is greater than the third thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company . Inc.
    Inventor: Chung-Liang CHENG
  • Patent number: 12009403
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures and method for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a fin protruding from a substrate and a gate stack formed across the fin. The semiconductor structure further includes a source/drain structure attaching to the gate stack and a contact structure connecting to the source/drain structure. The semiconductor structure further includes a first cap layer covering a top surface of the contact structure. In addition, the first cap layer includes a first halogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chung-Liang Cheng, Ziwei Fang
  • Publication number: 20240186189
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. A substrate is provided. The substrate has a first region and a second region. An n-type work function layer is formed over the substrate in the first region but not in the second region. A p-type work function layer is formed over the n-type work function layer in the first region, and over the substrate in the second region. The p-type work function layer directly contacts the substrate in the second region. And the p-type work function layer includes a metal oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2024
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: Chung-Liang Cheng, Ziwei Fang
  • Patent number: 12002885
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and methods of fabricating the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a fin structure disposed on the substrate, a source/drain (S/D) region disposed on the fin structure, and a gate structure disposed on the fin structure adjacent to the S/D region. The gate structure includes a gate stack disposed on the fin structure and a gate capping structure disposed on the gate stack. The gate capping structure includes a conductive gate cap disposed on the gate stack and an insulating gate cap disposed on the conductive gate cap. The semiconductor device further includes a first contact structure disposed within the gate capping structure and a first via structure disposed on the first contact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung-Liang Cheng, Sheng-Tsung Wang, Huang-Lin Chao
  • Publication number: 20240178319
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, an interfacial layer formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a high-k dielectric layer formed on the interfacial layer. At least one of the high-k dielectric layer and the interfacial layer is doped with: a first dopant species, a second dopant species, and a third dopant species. The first dopant species and the second dopant species form a plurality of first dipole elements having a first polarity. The third dopant species forms a plurality of second dipole elements having a second polarity. A first concentration ratio of the first concentration of the first dopant species to the second concentration of the second dopant species of the p-type transistor is different from a second concentration ratio of the first concentration of the first dopant species to the second concentration of the second dopant species of the n-type transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2024
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Hsiang-Pi Chang, Yen-Tien Tung, Dawei Heh, Chung-Liang Cheng, I-Ming Chang, Yao-Sheng Huang, Tzer-Min Shen, Huang-Lin Chao
  • Patent number: 11996328
    Abstract: A method for forming a gate structure includes forming a trench within an interlayer dielectric layer (ILD) that is disposed on a semiconductor substrate, the trench exposing a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, forming an interfacial layer at a bottom of the trench, forming a dielectric layer within the trench, forming a work function metal layer on the dielectric layer, forming an in-situ nitride layer on the work function metal layer in the trench, performing a first cobalt deposition process to form a cobalt layer within the trench, performing a second cobalt deposition process to increase a thickness of the cobalt layer within the trench, and performing an electrochemical plating (ECP) process to fill the trench with cobalt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chung-Liang Cheng, Ziwei Fang
  • Publication number: 20240164225
    Abstract: A resistive random access memory (RRAM) device is provided. The RRAM includes: a bottom electrode via disposed in a first dielectric layer; a bottom electrode electrically connected to the bottom electrode via and protruding upwardly from the bottom electrode via in a vertical direction, wherein the bottom electrode has a tapered shape and includes a base portion extending upwardly from a bottom surface to an interface and a tip portion extending upwardly from the interface to a top surface; a top electrode disposed in a second dielectric layer, the top electrode distanced above and vertically aligned with the bottom electrode; and a switching layer disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, the switching layer enclosing the bottom electrode, wherein a conductive path between the bottom electrode and the top electrode is formed when a forming voltage is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Inventors: Jheng-Hong Jiang, Chung-Liang Cheng