Patents by Inventor Fee Li LIE

Fee Li LIE 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).

  • Publication number: 20200135635
    Abstract: Techniques that facilitate integration of artificial intelligence devices are provided. In one example, a device includes a first dual-damascene layer, a second dual-damascene layer and an artificial intelligence memory device. The first dual-damascene layer comprises a first set of copper connections formed in first dielectric material. The second dual-damascene layer that comprises a second set of copper connections formed in second dielectric material. The artificial intelligence memory device is integrated between the first dual-damascene layer and the second dual-damascene layer. A through-level via (TLV) electrical connection associated with the artificial intelligence memory device provides an interconnection between the first set of copper connections and the second set of copper connections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Hsueh-Chung Chen, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Fee Li Lie, Effendi Leobandung
  • Patent number: 10629698
    Abstract: Sacrificial gate structures having an aspect ratio of greater than 5:1 are formed on a substrate. In some embodiments, each sacrificial gate structure straddles a portion of a semiconductor fin that is present on the substrate. An anchoring element is formed orthogonal to each sacrificial gate structure rendering the sacrificial gate structures mechanically stable. After formation of a planarization dielectric layer, each anchoring element can be removed and thereafter each sacrificial gate structure can be replaced with a functional gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ryan O. Jung, Fee Li Lie, Jeffrey C. Shearer, John R. Sporre, Sean Teehan
  • Patent number: 10629443
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first active region on a semiconductor substrate, forming a semiconductor layer on the first active region, patterning the semiconductor layer into a plurality of fins extending from the first active region vertically with respect to the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first active region is located at bottom ends of the plurality of fins, forming a silicide layer on exposed portions of the first active region, forming an electrically conductive contact on the silicide region, forming a second active region on top ends of each of the plurality of fins, and forming a gate structure between the plurality of fins, wherein the gate structure is positioned over the first active region and under the second active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Huiming Bu, Terence B. Hook, Fee Li Lie, Junli Wang
  • Patent number: 10628404
    Abstract: A method of forming a vertical transistor includes forming a fin structure on a substrate, forming a gate structure on the fin structure, and forming a bottom source/drain (S/D) region on the fin structure, such that an air gap is formed between the bottom S/D region and the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fee Li Lie, Shogo Mochizuki, Junli Wang
  • Publication number: 20200118904
    Abstract: A stacked semiconductor microcooler includes a first microcooler and a second microcooler. The microcoolers may be positioned such that the fins of each microcooler are vertically aligned. The microcoolers may include an inlet passage to accept coolant and an outlet passage to expel the coolant. One or more microcoolers may be thermally connected to an electronic device heat generating device, such as an integrated circuit (IC) chip, or the like. Heat from the electronic device heat generating device may transfer to the one or more microcoolers. A flow of cooled liquid may be introduced through the passages and heat from the one or more microcoolers may transfer to the liquid coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Inventors: Donald F. Canaperi, Daniel A. Corliss, Dario Goldfarb, Dinesh Gupta, Fee Li Lie, Kamal K. Sikka
  • Patent number: 10622250
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for dielectric gap fill evaluations are provided. In one example, a method can comprise providing a gap fill substrate over one or more interlayer dielectric trenches of a dielectric layer and over a first material located in the one or more interlayer dielectric trenches. The method can also comprise depositing a gap fill candidate material within one or more gap fill substrate trenches of the gap fill substrate. Furthermore, the method can comprise etching the gap fill candidate material until a void within the first material is identified. Additionally, the method can comprise filling the one or more gap fill substrate trenches with a second material to form one or more contacts with the first material to measure a leakage current of one or more pitches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isabel Cristina Chu, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Leigh Anne H. Clevenger, Ekmini Anuja De Silva, Gauri Karve, Fee Li Lie, Nicole Adelle Saulnier, Indira Seshadri, Hosadurga Shobha
  • Patent number: 10615278
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a stained fin, a gate upon the strain fin, and a spacer upon a sidewall of the gate and upon an end surface of the strained fin. The end surface of the strained fin is coplanar with a sidewall of the gate. The spacer limits relaxation of the strained fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Bruce B. Doris, Hong He, Sivananda K. Kanakasabapathy, Gauri Karve, Juntao Li, Fee Li Lie, Derrick Liu, Chun Wing Yeung
  • Patent number: 10615269
    Abstract: A method and structures are used to fabricate a nanosheet semiconductor device. Nanosheet fins including nanosheet stacks including alternating silicon (Si) layers and silicon germanium (SiGe) layers are formed on a substrate and etched to define a first end and a second end along a first axis between which each nanosheet fin extends parallel to every other nanosheet fin. The SiGe layers are undercut in the nanosheet stacks at the first end and the second end to form divots, and a dielectric is deposited in the divots. The SiGe layers between the Si layers are removed before forming source and drain regions of the nanosheet semiconductor device such that there are gaps between the Si layers of each nanosheet stack, and the dielectric anchors the Si layers. The gaps are filled with an oxide that is removed after removing the dummy gate and prior to forming the replacement gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Terresa, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc A. Bergendahl, Kangguo Cheng, Fee Li Lie, Eric R. Miller, John R. Sporre, Sean Teehan
  • Patent number: 10607991
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes forming a trench adjacent to a gate structure to expose a contact surface of one of a source region and a drain region. A sacrificial spacer may be formed on a sidewall of the trench and on a sidewall of the gate structure. A metal contact may then be formed in the trench to at least one of the source region and the drain region. The metal contact has a base width that is less than an upper surface width of the metal contact. The sacrificial spacer may be removed, and a substantially conformal dielectric material layer can be formed on sidewalls of the metal contact and the gate structure. Portions of the conformally dielectric material layer contact one another at a pinch off region to form an air gap between the metal contact and the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc A. Bergendahl, Kangguo Cheng, Fee Li Lie, Eric R. Miller, John R. Sporre, Sean Teehan
  • Patent number: 10593803
    Abstract: A method of forming a vertical fin field effect transistor (vertical finFET) with a self-aligned shallow trench isolation region, including forming a pinch-off layer on one or more vertical fin segments, wherein the pinch-off layer has a thickness on the sidewalls of the one or more vertical fin segments, forming a trench mask layer on predetermined portions of the pinch-off layer, removing portions of the pinch-off layer not covered by the trench mask layer, where the removed portions of the pinch-off layer exposes underlying portions of the substrate, and removing at least a portion of the substrate to form one or more isolation region trenches, where the distance of the sidewall of one of the one or more isolation region trenches to an adjacent vertical fin segment is determined by the thickness of the pinch-off layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Fee Li Lie, Junli Wang
  • Patent number: 10593782
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a first hardmask, a planarizing layer, and a second hardmask on a substrate. Removing portions of the second hardmask and forming alternating blocks of a first material and a second material over the second hardmask. The blocks of the second material are removed to expose portions of the planarizing layer. Exposed portions of the planarizing layer and the first hardmask are removed to expose portions of the first hardmask. Portions of the first hardmask and portions of the substrate are removed to form a first fin and a second fin. Portions of the substrate are removed to further increase the height of the first fin and substantially remove the second fin. A gate stack is formed over a channel region of the first fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignees: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Cheng Chi, Fee Li Lie, Chi-Chun Liu, Ruilong Xie
  • Patent number: 10573528
    Abstract: First lithography and etching are carried out on a semiconductor structure to provide a first intermediate semiconductor structure having a first set of surface features corresponding to a first portion of desired fin formation mandrels. Second lithography and etching are carried out on the first intermediate structure, using a second mask, to provide a second intermediate semiconductor structure having a second set of surface features corresponding to a second portion of the mandrels. The second set of surface features are unequally spaced from the first set of surface features and/or the features have different pitch. The fin formation mandrels are formed in the second intermediate semiconductor structure using the first and second sets of surface features; spacer material is deposited over the mandrels and is etched back to form a third intermediate semiconductor structure having a fin pattern. Etching is carried out on same to produce the fin pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Fee Li Lie, Dongbing Shao, Robert Wong, Yongan Xu
  • Patent number: 10573745
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to methods and resulting structures for a vertical field effect transistor (VFET) having a super long channel. A pair of semiconductor fins is formed on a substrate. A semiconductor pillar is formed between the semiconductor fins on the substrate. A region that extends under all of the semiconductor fins and under part of the semiconductor pillar is doped. A conductive gate is formed over a channel region of the semiconductor fins and the semiconductor pillar. A surface of the semiconductor pillar serves as an extended channel region when the gate is active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Marc A. Bergendahl, Kangguo Cheng, Gauri Karve, Fee Li Lie, Eric R. Miller, John R. Sporre, Sean Teehan
  • Patent number: 10573727
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for forming a semiconductor device includes pattering a first fin in a semiconductor substrate, and forming a liner layer over the first fin. The method further includes removing a first portion of the liner layer, and removing a portion of the exposed semiconductor substrate to form a first cavity. The method also includes performing an isotropic etching process to remove portions of the semiconductor substrate in the first cavity and form a first undercut region below the liner layer, growing a first epitaxial semiconductor material in the first undercut region and the first cavity, and performing a first annealing process to drive dopants from the first epitaxial semiconductor material into the first fin to form a first source/drain layer under the first fin and in portions of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Huiming Bu, Fee Li Lie, Shogo Mochizuki, Junli Wang
  • Publication number: 20200051896
    Abstract: A semiconductor microcooler is fabricated by forming fins in a semiconductor substrate and forming a metal layer upon the fins. A stacked microcooler may be formed by stacking a plurality of semiconductor microcoolers. The microcoolers may be positioned such that the fins of each microcooler are aligned. One or more microcoolers may be thermally connected to a surface of a coolant conduit that is thermally connected to an electronic device heat generating device, such as an integrated circuit (IC) chip, or the like. Heat from the electronic device heat generating device may transfer to the one or more microcoolers. A flow of cooled liquid may be introduced through the conduit and heat from the one or more microcoolers may transfer to the liquid coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Donald F. Canaperi, Daniel A. Corliss, Dario Goldfarb, Dinesh Gupta, Fee Li Lie, Kamal K. Sikka
  • Publication number: 20200051886
    Abstract: A semiconductor microcooler is fabricated by forming fins in a semiconductor substrate and forming a metal layer upon the fins. A stacked microcooler may be formed by stacking a plurality of semiconductor microcoolers. The microcoolers may be positioned such that the fins of each microcooler are vertically aligned. The microcoolers may include an inlet passage to accept coolant and an outlet passage to expel the coolant. One or more microcoolers may be thermally connected to an electronic device heat generating device, such as an integrated circuit (IC) chip, or the like. Heat from the electronic device heat generating device may transfer to the one or more microcoolers. A flow of cooled liquid may be introduced through the passages and heat from the one or more microcoolers may transfer to the liquid coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Donald F. Canaperi, Daniel A. Corliss, Dario Goldfarb, Dinesh Gupta, Fee Li Lie, Kamal K. Sikka
  • Publication number: 20200052107
    Abstract: A method of forming a nanosheet device is provided. The method includes forming a nanosheet channel layer stack and dummy gate structure on a substrate. The method further includes forming a curved recess in the substrate surface adjacent to the nanosheet channel layer stack. The method further includes depositing a protective layer on the curved recess, dummy gate structure, and exposed sidewall surfaces of the nanosheet layer stack, and removing a portion of the protective layer on the curved recess to form a downward-spiked ridge around the rim of the curved recess. The method further includes extending the curved recess deeper into the substrate to form an extended recess, and forming a sacrificial layer at the surface of the extended recess in the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Fee Li Lie, Mona Ebrish, Ekmini A. De Silva, Indira Seshadri, Gauri Karve, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Leigh Anne H. Clevenger, Nicolas Loubet
  • Patent number: 10553581
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes forming a trench adjacent to a gate structure to expose a contact surface of one of a source region and a drain region. A sacrificial spacer may be formed on a sidewall of the trench and on a sidewall of the gate structure. A metal contact may then be formed in the trench to at least one of the source region and the drain region. The metal contact has a base width that is less than an upper surface width of the metal contact. The sacrificial spacer may be removed, and a substantially conformal dielectric material layer can be formed on sidewalls of the metal contact and the gate structure. Portions of the conformally dielectric material layer contact one another at a pinch off region to form an air gap between the metal contact and the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Marc A. Bergendahl, Kangguo Cheng, Fee Li Lie, Eric R. Miller, John R. Sporre, Sean Teehan
  • Patent number: 10553522
    Abstract: A semiconductor microcooler is fabricated by forming fins in a semiconductor substrate and forming a metal layer upon the fins. A stacked microcooler may be formed by stacking a plurality of semiconductor microcoolers. The microcoolers may be positioned such that the fins of each microcooler are aligned. One or more microcoolers may be thermally connected to a surface of a coolant conduit that is thermally connected to an electronic device heat generating device, such as an integrated circuit (IC) chip, or the like. Heat from the electronic device heat generating device may transfer to the one or more microcoolers. A flow of cooled liquid may be introduced through the conduit and heat from the one or more microcoolers may transfer to the liquid coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Donald F. Canaperi, Daniel A. Corliss, Dario Goldfarb, Dinesh Gupta, Fee Li Lie, Kamal K. Sikka
  • Patent number: 10553716
    Abstract: In an embodiment, this invention relates to a vertical field-effect transistor component including a bottom source-drain layer and a method of creating the same. The method of forming a bottom source-drain layer of a vertical field-effect transistor component can comprise forming an anchor structure on a substrate. A sacrificial layer can be deposited on a middle region of the substrate and a channel layer can be deposited on the sacrificial layer. A plurality of vertical fins can be formed on the substrate and the sacrificial layer can be removed such that the plurality of vertical fins in the middle region form a plurality of floating fins having a gap located between the plurality of floating fins and the substrate. The bottom source-drain layer can then be formed such that the bottom source-drain layer fills in the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Marc A. Bergendahl, Kangguo Cheng, Fee Li Lie, Shogo Mochizuki, Junli Wang