Patents by Inventor Edward J. Nowak

Edward J. Nowak 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: 9299835
    Abstract: Vertical field effect transistors (FETs) with minimum pitch and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The structure includes at least one vertical fin structure and gate material contacting with the at least one vertical fin structure. The structure further includes metal material in electrical contact with the ends of the at least one vertical fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 9286425
    Abstract: A design structure is embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing a design. The design structure includes a structure which comprises a high-leakage dielectric formed in a divot on each side of a segmented FET comprised of active silicon islands and gate electrodes thereon, and a low-leakage dielectric on the surface of the active silicon islands, adjacent the high-leakage dielectric, wherein the low-leakage dielectric has a lower leakage than the high-leakage dielectric. Also provided is a structure and method of fabricating the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 9272233
    Abstract: The disclosure relates generally to nano-filters and methods of forming same, and methods of filtration. The nano-filter includes a substrate and at least one nanowire structure located between an inlet and an outlet. The nanowire structure may include a plurality of vertically stacked horizontal nanowires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Andres Bryant, Edward J. Nowak, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9276002
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally provides for an integrated circuit (IC) structure with a bulk silicon finFET and methods of forming the same. An IC structure according to the present disclosure can include: a bulk substrate; a finFET located on a first region of the bulk substrate; and a layered dummy structure located on a second region of the bulk substrate, wherein the layered dummy structure includes a first crystalline semiconductive layer, a second crystalline semiconductive layer positioned on the first crystalline semiconductive layer, wherein the first crystalline semiconductive layer comprises a material distinct from the second crystalline semiconductive layer, and a third crystalline semiconductive layer positioned on the second crystalline semiconductive layer, wherein the third crystalline semiconductive layer comprises the material distinct from the second crystalline semiconductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz, Qizhi Liu, Edward J. Nowak, Jed H. Rankin
  • Publication number: 20160056181
    Abstract: Disclosed are field effect transistor (FET) formation methods using a final gate cut process and the resulting structures. One method forms an elongated gate across first and second semiconductor bodies for first and second FETs, respectively. An opening is formed in a portion of the elongated gate between the semiconductor bodies, cutting at least the gate conductor layer. The opening is filled with an isolation layer, thereby forming an isolation region that segments the elongated gate into first and second gates for the first and second FETs, respectively. Another method forms at least three gates across an elongated semiconductor body. An isolation region is formed that extends, not only through a portion of a center one of the gates, but also through a corresponding portion of the elongated semiconductor body adjacent to that gate, thereby segmenting the elongated semiconductor body into discrete semiconductor bodies for first and second FETs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 9263442
    Abstract: Gate structures and methods of manufacturing is disclosed. The method includes forming a continuous replacement gate structure within a trench formed in dielectric material. The method further includes segmenting the continuous replacement gate structure into separate replacement gate structures. The method further includes forming insulator material between the separate replacement gate structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 9257427
    Abstract: According to a structure herein, parallel fins comprise channel regions and source and drain regions. Parallel gate conductors are over and intersecting the channel regions of the fins. Electrical insulator material surrounds sides of the gate conductors. Each of the fins has a main fin body and wider regions extending from the main fin body between the electrical insulator material surrounding the sides of the gate conductors. The wider regions comprise a first wider region extending a first width from the main fin body and a second wider region extending a second width from the main fin body. The material of the second wider region is continuous between adjacent fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 9245981
    Abstract: An array of stacks containing a semiconductor fins and an oxygen-impermeable cap is formed on a semiconductor substrate with a substantially uniform areal density. Oxygen-impermeable spacers are formed around each stack, and the semiconductor substrate is etched to vertically extend trenches. Semiconductor sidewalls are physically exposed from underneath the oxygen-impermeable spacers. The oxygen-impermeable spacers are removed in regions in which semiconductor fins are not needed. A dielectric oxide material is deposited to fill the trenches. Oxidation is performed to convert a top portion of the semiconductor substrate and semiconductor fins not protected by oxygen-impermeable spacers into dielectric material portions. Upon removal of the oxygen-impermeable caps and remaining oxygen-impermeable spacers, an array including semiconductor fins and dielectric fins is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ramachandra Divakaruni, Bruce B. Doris, Ali Khakifirooz, Edward J. Nowak, Kern Rim
  • Patent number: 9240352
    Abstract: Bulk finFET well contacts with fin pattern uniformity and methods of manufacture. The method includes providing a substrate with a first region and a second region, the first region comprising a well with a first conductivity. The method further includes forming contiguous fins over the first region and the second region. The method further includes forming an epitaxial layer on at least one portion of the fins in the first region and at least one portion of the fins in the second region. The method further includes doping the epitaxial layer in the first region with a first type dopant to provide the first conductivity. The method further includes doping the epitaxial layer in the second region with a second type dopant to provide a second conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Andres Bryant, Edward J. Nowak, Scott R. Stiffler
  • Patent number: 9231085
    Abstract: FinFET end-implanted-semiconductor structures and methods of manufacture are disclosed herein. The method includes forming at least one mandrel on a silicon layer of a substrate comprising an underlying insulator layer. The method further includes etching the silicon layer to form at least one silicon island under the at least one mandrel. The method further includes ion-implanting sidewalls of the at least one silicon island to form doped regions on the sidewalls. The method further includes forming a dielectric layer on the substrate, a top surface of which is planarized to be coplanar with a top surface of the at least one mandrel. The method further includes removing the at least one mandrel to form an opening in the dielectric layer. The method further includes etching the at least one silicon island to form at least one fin island having doped source and drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 9224841
    Abstract: Disclosed are semiconductor structures with monocrystalline semiconductor fins, which are above a trench isolation region in a semiconductor substrate and which can be incorporated into semiconductor device(s). Also disclosed are methods of forming such structures by forming sidewall spacers on opposing sides of mandrels on a dielectric cap layer. Between adjacent mandrels, an opening is formed that extends vertically through the dielectric cap layer and through multiple monocrystalline semiconductor layers into a semiconductor substrate. A portion of the opening within the substrate is expanded to form a trench. This trench undercuts the semiconductor layers and extends laterally below adjacent sidewall spacers on either side of the opening. The trench is then filled with an isolation layer, thereby forming a trench isolation region, and a sidewall image transfer process is performed using the sidewall spacers to form a pair of monocrystalline semiconductor fins above the trench isolation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: David L. Harame, Qizhi Liu, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 9224837
    Abstract: Disclosed are semiconductor structures and methods of forming the structures. The structures each comprise a pair of vertical FETs. Specifically, a U-shaped semiconductor body has a horizontal section and two vertical sections. The horizontal section comprises a shared source/drain region for first and second vertical FETs. Each vertical section comprises a channel region and a source/drain region above the channel region for a corresponding one the vertical FETs. In one semiconductor structure, each vertical section has a gate wrapped around the channel region. In another semiconductor structure, each vertical section has a front gate positioned adjacent to the inner vertical surface at the channel region and a back gate positioned adjacent to the outer vertical surface at the channel region. In any case, a contact, which is electrically isolated from the gates, extends vertically to the shared source/drain region in the horizontal section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Edward J. Nowak
  • Publication number: 20150364534
    Abstract: Disclosed are non-planar capacitors with finely tuned capacitances and methods of forming them. The capacitors each incorporate one or more semiconductor bodies and one or more gate stacks traversing the one or more semiconductor bodies. At least one first semiconductor body is etched so that it is shorter in length than the others, which are incorporated into other non-planar devices and/or into the same non-planar capacitor. Additionally, at least one gate stack can be formed so that it traverses a first portion and, particularly, an end portion of the shortened semiconductor body and further so that it extends laterally some distance beyond that first portion. In such capacitors, the length of the first portion of the shorted semiconductor body, which corresponds to a capacitor conductor and which is traversed by the gate stack, which corresponds to a capacitor dielectric and another capacitor conductor, is predetermined to achieve a desired capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Edward J. Nowak, Richard Q. Williams
  • Publication number: 20150333156
    Abstract: An array of stacks containing a semiconductor fins and an oxygen-impermeable cap is formed on a semiconductor substrate with a substantially uniform areal density. Oxygen-impermeable spacers are formed around each stack, and the semiconductor substrate is etched to vertically extend trenches. Semiconductor sidewalls are physically exposed from underneath the oxygen-impermeable spacers. The oxygen-impermeable spacers are removed in regions in which semiconductor fins are not needed. A dielectric oxide material is deposited to fill the trenches. Oxidation is performed to convert a top portion of the semiconductor substrate and semiconductor fins not protected by oxygen-impermeable spacers into dielectric material portions. Upon removal of the oxygen-impermeable caps and remaining oxygen-impermeable spacers, an array including semiconductor fins and dielectric fins is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ramachandra Divakaruni, Bruce B. Doris, Ali Khakifirooz, Edward J. Nowak, Kern Rim
  • Patent number: 9171952
    Abstract: A low gate-to-drain capacitance merged finFET and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a plurality of fins on a substrate. The method further includes forming at least one dummy gate structure intersecting the plurality of fins. The method further includes forming a gap between sidewalls of the fins and an insulator material, which exposes portions of the substrate. The method further includes merging the fins together with semiconductor material formed within the gaps and over the insulator material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. 2 LLC
    Inventors: Terence B. Hook, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 9170165
    Abstract: A workfunction modulation-based sensor comprising a field-effect transistor (FET). The FET comprises a substrate, a gate dielectric, a metal gate, a source, a drain, and a layer of sensing material that is electrically connected to the metal gate. An electrical connection that connects to the source of the FET. An electrical connection that connects to the drain of the FET. An electrical connection that connects to the layer of sensing material. An environment that includes an adsorbate gas surrounding, at least a portion of, the layer of sensing material. Wherein the sensing material is adapted to adsorb, at least in part, the adsorbate gas. The amount of adsorbate gas adsorbed on the layer of sensing material modulates the workfunction of the FET such that the degree of adsorbate gas adsorption corresponds to one of the temperature or pressure associated with the environment of the FET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. 2 LLC
    Inventors: Balaji Jayaraman, Kota V. R. M. Murali, Edward J. Nowak, Ninad D. Sathaye, Rajesh Sathiyanarayanan
  • Publication number: 20150303313
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device including a channel region and a ferromagnetic gate is provided. The channel region can be formed within a semiconductor nanowire. The ferromagnetic gate is programmed with a selected orientation of magnetization by the electrical current that passes through the channel region in one direction or another. The orientation of the magnetization in the ferromagnetic gate can be detected by changes in the threshold voltage of a field effect transistor employing the ferromagnetic gate as a gate electrode, or can be detected by the resistance of the channel region that changes with the orientation of the magnetization in a two terminal device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hari V. Mallela, Edward J. Nowak, Yunsheng Song, Reinaldo A. Vega, Keith Kwong Hon Wong, Zhijian Yang
  • Publication number: 20150294973
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally provides for an integrated circuit (IC) structure with a bulk silicon finFET and methods of forming the same. An IC structure according to the present disclosure can include: a bulk substrate; a finFET located on a first region of the bulk substrate; and a layered dummy structure located on a second region of the bulk substrate, wherein the layered dummy structure includes a first crystalline semiconductive layer, a second crystalline semiconductive layer positioned on the first crystalline semiconductive layer, wherein the first crystalline semiconductive layer comprises a material distinct from the second crystalline semiconductive layer, and a third crystalline semiconductive layer positioned on the second crystalline semiconductive layer, wherein the third crystalline semiconductive layer comprises the material distinct from the second crystalline semiconductive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz, Qizhi Liu, Edward J. Nowak, Jed H. Rankin
  • Patent number: 9153669
    Abstract: Low capacitance finFET gate structures and methods of manufacturing. The method includes forming a layer of material on a substrate. The method further includes forming a dummy gate structure on the substrate which abuts the layer of material. The method further includes forming at least one spacer adjacent to the dummy gate structure and the layer of material. The method further includes removing the dummy gate structure and at least a portion of the layer of material to form an opening with a varying length. The method further includes forming a replacement gate structure with varying length by depositing gate material in the opening with the varying length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Andres Bryant, Edward J. Nowak
  • Publication number: 20150243765
    Abstract: Disclosed are semiconductor structures and methods of forming the structures. The structures each comprise a pair of vertical FETs. Specifically, a U-shaped semiconductor body has a horizontal section and two vertical sections. The horizontal section comprises a shared source/drain region for first and second vertical FETs. Each vertical section comprises a channel region and a source/drain region above the channel region for a corresponding one the vertical FETs. In one semiconductor structure, each vertical section has a gate wrapped around the channel region. In another semiconductor structure, each vertical section has a front gate positioned adjacent to the inner vertical surface at the channel region and a back gate positioned adjacent to the outer vertical surface at the channel region. In any case, a contact, which is electrically isolated from the gates, extends vertically to the shared source/drain region in the horizontal section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Edward J. Nowak