Patents by Inventor Curtis Tsai

Curtis Tsai 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: 9159734
    Abstract: Techniques for providing non-volatile antifuse memory elements and other antifuse links are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the antifuse memory elements are configured with non-planar topology such as FinFET topology. In some such embodiments, the fin topology can be manipulated and used to effectively promote lower breakdown voltage transistors, by creating enhanced-emission sites which are suitable for use in lower voltage non-volatile antifuse memory elements. In one example embodiment, a semiconductor antifuse device is provided that includes a non-planar diffusion area having a fin configured with a tapered portion, a dielectric isolation layer on the fin including the tapered portion, and a gate material on the dielectric isolation layer. The tapered portion of the fin may be formed, for instance, by oxidation, etching, and/or ablation, and in some cases includes a base region and a thinned region, and the thinned region is at least 50% thinner than the base region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh
  • Publication number: 20150179525
    Abstract: High voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners and methods of forming high voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners are described. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a first fin active region and a second fin active region disposed above a substrate. A first gate structure is disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the first fin active region. The first gate structure includes a first gate dielectric, a first gate electrode, and first spacers. The first gate dielectric is composed of a first dielectric layer disposed on the first fin active region and along sidewalls of the first spacers, and a second, different, dielectric layer disposed on the first dielectric layer and along sidewalls of the first spacers. The semiconductor structure also includes a second gate structure disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the second fin active region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park, Chia-Hong Jan, Gopinath Bhimarasetti
  • Patent number: 8981481
    Abstract: High voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners and methods of forming high voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners are described. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a first fin active region and a second fin active region disposed above a substrate. A first gate structure is disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the first fin active region. The first gate structure includes a first gate dielectric composed of a first dielectric layer disposed on the first fin active region, and a second, different, dielectric layer disposed on the first dielectric layer. The semiconductor structure also includes a second gate structure disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the second fin active region. The second gate structure includes a second gate dielectric composed of the second dielectric layer disposed on the second fin active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park, Chia-Hong Jan, Gopinath Bhimarasetti
  • Patent number: 8889508
    Abstract: Precision resistors for non-planar semiconductor device architectures are described. In a first example, a semiconductor structure includes first and second semiconductor fins disposed above a substrate. A resistor structure is disposed above the first semiconductor fin but not above the second semiconductor fin. A transistor structure is formed from the second semiconductor fin but not from the first semiconductor fin. In a second example, a semiconductor structure includes first and second semiconductor fins disposed above a substrate. An isolation region is disposed above the substrate, between the first and second semiconductor fins, and at a height less than the first and second semiconductor fins. A resistor structure is disposed above the isolation region but not above the first and second semiconductor fins. First and second transistor structures are formed from the first and second semiconductor fins, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Peter J. Vandervoorn, Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park
  • Publication number: 20140319623
    Abstract: Two or more types of fin-based transistors having different gate structures and formed on a single integrated circuit are described. The gate structures for each type of transistor are distinguished at least by the thickness or composition of the gate dielectric layer(s) or the composition of the work function metal layer(s) in the gate electrode. Methods are also provided for fabricating an integrated circuit having at least two different types of fin-based transistors, where the transistor types are distinguished by the thickness and composition of the gate dielectric layer(s) and/or the thickness and composition of the work function metal in the gate electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Curtis Tsai, Chia-Hong Jan, Jeng-Ya David Yeh, Joodong Park, Walid M. Hafez
  • Publication number: 20140308785
    Abstract: Precision resistors for non-planar semiconductor device architectures are described. In a first example, a semiconductor structure includes first and second semiconductor fins disposed above a substrate. A resistor structure is disposed above the first semiconductor fin but not above the second semiconductor fin. A transistor structure is formed from the second semiconductor fin but not from the first semiconductor fin. In a second example, a semiconductor structure includes first and second semiconductor fins disposed above a substrate. An isolation region is disposed above the substrate, between the first and second semiconductor fins, and at a height less than the first and second semiconductor fins. A resistor structure is disposed above the isolation region but not above the first and second semiconductor fins. First and second transistor structures are formed from the first and second semiconductor fins, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventors: Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Peter J. Vandervoorn, Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park
  • Publication number: 20140291737
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for forming transistor architectures having extended recessed spacer and source/drain (S/D) regions. In some embodiments, a recess can be formed, for example, in the top of a fin of a fin-based field-effect transistor (finFET), such that the recess allows for forming extended recessed spacers and S/D regions in the finFET that are adjacent to the gate stack. In some instances, this configuration provides a higher resistance path in the top of the fin, which can reduce gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) in the finFET. In some embodiments, precise tuning of the onset of GIDL can be provided. Some embodiments may provide a reduction in junction leakage (Lb) and a simultaneous increase in threshold voltage (VT). The disclosed techniques can be implemented with planar and non-planar fin-based architectures and can be used in standard metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) and complementary MOS (CMOS) process flows, in some embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Joodong Park, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai
  • Patent number: 8796772
    Abstract: Precision resistors for non-planar semiconductor device architectures are described. In a first example, a semiconductor structure includes first and second semiconductor fins disposed above a substrate. A resistor structure is disposed above the first semiconductor fin but not above the second semiconductor fin. A transistor structure is formed from the second semiconductor fin but not from the first semiconductor fin. In a second example, a semiconductor structure includes first and second semiconductor fins disposed above a substrate. An isolation region is disposed above the substrate, between the first and second semiconductor fins, and at a height less than the first and second semiconductor fins. A resistor structure is disposed above the isolation region but not above the first and second semiconductor fins. First and second transistor structures are formed from the first and second semiconductor fins, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Peter J. Vandervoorn, Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park
  • Publication number: 20140084381
    Abstract: Precision resistors for non-planar semiconductor device architectures are described. In a first example, a semiconductor structure includes first and second semiconductor fins disposed above a substrate. A resistor structure is disposed above the first semiconductor fin but not above the second semiconductor fin. A transistor structure is formed from the second semiconductor fin but not from the first semiconductor fin. In a second example, a semiconductor structure includes first and second semiconductor fins disposed above a substrate. An isolation region is disposed above the substrate, between the first and second semiconductor fins, and at a height less than the first and second semiconductor fins. A resistor structure is disposed above the isolation region but not above the first and second semiconductor fins. First and second transistor structures are formed from the first and second semiconductor fins, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Inventors: Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Peter J. Vandervoorn, Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park
  • Patent number: 8669617
    Abstract: Provided are devices having at least three and at least four different types of transistors wherein the transistors are distinguished at least by the thicknesses and or compositions of the gate dielectric regions. Methods for making devices having three and at least four different types of transistors that are distinguished at least by the thicknesses and or compositions of the gate dielectric regions are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Walid M. Hafez
  • Publication number: 20140001569
    Abstract: High voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners and methods of forming high voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners are described. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a first fin active region and a second fin active region disposed above a substrate. A first gate structure is disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the first fin active region. The first gate structure includes a first gate dielectric composed of a first dielectric layer disposed on the first fin active region, and a second, different, dielectric layer disposed on the first dielectric layer. The semiconductor structure also includes a second gate structure disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the second fin active region. The second gate structure includes a second gate dielectric composed of the second dielectric layer disposed on the second fin active region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park, Chia-Hong Jan, Gopinath Bhimarasetti
  • Publication number: 20130270559
    Abstract: Techniques for providing non-volatile antifuse memory elements and other antifuse links are disclosed herein. In sonic embodiments, the antifuse memory elements are configured with non-planar topology such as FinFET topology. In some such embodiments, the fin topology can be manipulated and used to effectively promote lower breakdown voltage transistors, by creating enhanced-emission sites which are suitable for use in lower voltage non-volatile antifuse memory elements. In one example embodiment, a semiconductor antifuse device is provided that includes a non-planar diffusion area having a fin configured with a tapered portion, a dielectric isolation layer on the fin including the tapered portion, and a gate material on the dielectric isolation layer. The tapered portion of the fin may be formed, for instance, by oxidation, etching, and/or ablation, and in some cases includes a base region and a thinned region, and the thinned region is at least 50% thinner than the base region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh
  • Publication number: 20120161237
    Abstract: Provided are devices having at least three and at least four different types of transistors wherein the transistors are distinguished at least by the thicknesses and or compositions of the gate dielectric regions. Methods for making devices having three and at least four different types of transistors that are distinguished at least by the thicknesses and or compositions of the gate dielectric regions are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Walid M. Hafez
  • Patent number: 5866462
    Abstract: Emitter widths of 0.3 .mu.m on double polysilicon bipolar transistors are achieved using O.8 .mu.m photolithography and a double spacer process. The emitter width reduction is confirmed with structural and electrical measurements. The double-spacer device exhibits superior low current f.sub.T and f.sub.max.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Incorporated
    Inventors: Curtis Tsai, Kenneth K. O, Brad W. Scharf