Patents by Inventor Fu-Chiang KUO

Fu-Chiang KUO 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: 12294033
    Abstract: A semiconductor die includes an array of first capacitor regions, each of the first capacitor regions including multiple first capacitor cell structures, wherein each first capacitor cell structure includes a plurality of first trench segments characterized by a first trench length, a first trench width, and a first trench spacing, and a first air gap width in a gap-filling material. The semiconductor die also includes a plurality of second capacitor regions interspersed in the array of first capacitor regions, each of the second capacitor region including multiple second capacitor cell structures, wherein each second capacitor cell structures includes a plurality of second trench segments characterized by a second trench length, a second trench width, a second trench spacing, and a second air gap width in the gap-filling material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Fu-Chiang Kuo
  • Publication number: 20250031393
    Abstract: A deep trench is formed in a substrate. A layer stack including at least three metallic electrode layers interlaced with at least two node dielectric layers is formed over the substrate. The layer stack continuously extends into the deep trench, and a cavity is present in an unfilled volume of the deep trench. A dielectric fill material layer including a dielectric fill material is formed in the cavity and over the substrate. The dielectric fill material layer encapsulates a void that is free of any solid phase and is formed within a volume of the cavity. The void may expand or shrink under stress during subsequently handling of a deep trench capacitor including the layer stack to absorb mechanical stress and to increase mechanical stability of the deep trench capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventor: Fu-Chiang KUO
  • Publication number: 20240412982
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a wafer circuit structure, at least one first semiconductor die, at least one first supporting structure, and an encapsulant. The at least one first semiconductor die is disposed over and electrically connected to the wafer circuit structure in a device region of the semiconductor structure. The at least one first supporting structure is disposed over the wafer circuit structure in a peripheral region of the semiconductor structure. The encapsulant is disposed over the wafer circuit structure and encapsulates the at least one first semiconductor die and the at least one first supporting structure, where a thickness of the encapsulant at an edge of the semiconductor structure is less than a thickness of the encapsulant within the device region of the semiconductor structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2023
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jen-Yuan Chang, Fu-Chiang Kuo, Yi-Chu Wu
  • Publication number: 20240387610
    Abstract: A semiconductor arrangement and method of forming the semiconductor arrangement are provided. The semiconductor arrangement includes a first conductive layer and a first dielectric layer over the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer is over a portion of the first dielectric layer and has a sidewall surface. A spacer is over a portion of the sidewall surface of the second conductive layer and covers an interface between the second conductive layer and the first dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2024
    Publication date: November 21, 2024
    Inventor: Fu-Chiang KUO
  • Publication number: 20240372014
    Abstract: A semiconductor trench capacitor structure is provided. The semiconductor trench capacitor comprises a semiconductor substrate; a trench capacitor overlying the semiconductor substrate, wherein the trench capacitor comprises a plurality of trench electrodes and a plurality of capacitor dielectric layers that are alternatingly stacked over the semiconductor substrate and defines a plurality of trench segments and a plurality of pillar segments, wherein the trench electrodes and the capacitor dielectric layers are recessed into the semiconductor substrate at the trench segments, and wherein the trench segments are separated from each other by the pillar segments; and a protection dielectric layer disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the trench capacitor, wherein the protection dielectric layer has a thickness greater than thicknesses of the trench electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2024
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Inventor: FU-CHIANG KUO
  • Patent number: 12119414
    Abstract: A semiconductor trench capacitor structure is provided. The semiconductor trench capacitor comprises a semiconductor substrate; a trench capacitor overlying the semiconductor substrate, wherein the trench capacitor comprises a plurality of trench electrodes and a plurality of capacitor dielectric layers that are alternatingly stacked over the semiconductor substrate and defines a plurality of trench segments and a plurality of pillar segments, wherein the trench electrodes and the capacitor dielectric layers are recessed into the semiconductor substrate at the trench segments, and wherein the trench segments are separated from each other by the pillar segments; and a protection dielectric layer disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the trench capacitor, wherein the protection dielectric layer has a thickness greater than thicknesses of the trench electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventor: Fu-Chiang Kuo
  • Patent number: 12113099
    Abstract: A deep trench is formed in a substrate. A layer stack including at least three metallic electrode layers interlaced with at least two node dielectric layers is formed over the substrate. The layer stack continuously extends into the deep trench, and a cavity is present in an unfilled volume of the deep trench. A dielectric fill material layer including a dielectric fill material is formed in the cavity and over the substrate. The dielectric fill material layer encapsulates a void that is free of any solid phase and is formed within a volume of the cavity. The void may expand or shrink under stress during subsequently handling of a deep trench capacitor including the layer stack to absorb mechanical stress and to increase mechanical stability of the deep trench capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventor: Fu-Chiang Kuo
  • Publication number: 20240321944
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an integrated circuit (IC) structure that includes a first substrate having an integrated circuit formed thereon; a second substrate bonded to the first substrate; and a deep trench capacitor formed on the second substrate and electrically connected to the integrated circuit. The deep trench capacitor includes a stack of conductive layers and dielectric layers disposed in deep trenches, and conductive plugs landing on the conductive layers, respectively. Each of the conductive plugs includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer disposed on the first metal layer, and a third metal layer disposed on the second metal layer. The first, second and third metal layers are different in composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Inventors: Fu-Chiang KUO, Po Cheng KUNG, Hsin-Liang CHEN
  • Patent number: 12015050
    Abstract: A deep trench is formed in a substrate. A layer stack including at least three metallic electrode layers interlaced with at least two node dielectric layers is formed over the substrate. The layer stack continuously extends into the deep trench, and a cavity is present in an unfilled volume of the deep trench. A dielectric fill material layer including a dielectric fill material is formed in the cavity and over the substrate. The dielectric fill material layer encapsulates a void that is free of any solid phase and is formed within a volume of the cavity. The void may expand or shrink under stress during subsequently handling of a deep trench capacitor including the layer stack to absorb mechanical stress and to increase mechanical stability of the deep trench capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventor: Fu-Chiang Kuo
  • Publication number: 20240153897
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device according to the present disclosure includes forming a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure in a substrate and forming an interconnect structure over the substrate. The MIM structure includes first electrodes of a first polarity and second electrodes of a second polarity. The interconnect structure includes conductive paths electrically connecting to the first and second electrodes. The conductive paths are isolated from each other inside the interconnect structure. The method also includes forming first and second contact pads over the interconnect structure. The first contact pad electrically connects a first portion of the conductive paths corresponding to the first electrodes. The second contact pad electrically connects a second portion of the conductive paths corresponding to the second electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Fu-Chiang Kuo, Yu-Hsin Fang, Hsin-Liang Chen
  • Publication number: 20240128261
    Abstract: A structure and method for improving manufacturing yield of passive device dies are disclosed. The structure includes first and second groups of capacitors disposed on a substrate, an interconnect structure disposed on the first and second groups of capacitors, first and second bonding structures disposed on the first and second conductive lines, respectively, and first and second measurement structures connected to the first and second conductive lines, respectively, and configured to measure electrical properties of the first and second groups of capacitors, respectively. The interconnect structure includes first and second conductive line connected to the first and second groups of trench capacitors, respectively. The first bonding structure is electrically connected to the first group of capacitors and the second bonding structure is electrically isolated from the first and second groups of capacitors. The first and second measurement structures are electrically isolated from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fu-Chiang KUO, Yu-Hsin Fang, Min-Hsiung Chen
  • Publication number: 20240105707
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods are provided. An exemplary method according to the present disclosure includes forming a trench extending into a substrate, in a top view, the trench extends lengthwise along a first direction, forming a material layer over the substrate and intersecting a first portion of the trench, after the forming of material layer, forming a first capacitor intersecting a second portion of the trench, the first capacitor comprising a first plurality of conductor plates, and forming a second capacitor intersecting a third portion of the trench, the second capacitor comprising a second plurality of conductor plates, where the first plurality of conductor plates and the second plurality of conductor plates are in direct contact with the material layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Fu-Chiang Kuo, Meei-Shiou Chern, Jyun-Ting Hou
  • Publication number: 20240088207
    Abstract: A capacitance structure comprises a metal nitride layer, such as a titanium nitride (TiN) layer, a compositionally graded film formed on a surface of the metal nitride layer by thermal oxidation, and a dielectric layer disposed on the compositionally graded film. A method of manufacturing a capacitance structure includes forming a conductive layer, performing thermal oxidation of a surface of the conductive layer to produce a compositionally graded film on the conductive layer, and forming a dielectric layer on the compositionally graded film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventor: Fu-Chiang Kuo
  • Publication number: 20240079353
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with capacitive structures and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, first and second trenches disposed in the substrate and separated from each other by a substrate region of the substrate, first, second, and third conductive layers disposed in the first and second trenches and on the substrate region in a stacked configuration, a nitride layer including first and second nitride portions disposed on the first and second trenches and on the substrate region, and first and second contact structures configured to provide first and second voltages to the first and second conductive layers. The first nitride portion is disposed on the first conductive layer and on sidewalls of the second and third conductive layers. The second nitride portion is disposed on the second conductive layer and on sidewalls of the third conductive layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fu-Chiang KUO, Meei-Shiou Chern, Jyun-Ting Hou
  • Publication number: 20240055470
    Abstract: A method includes forming first-type deep trenches and second-type deep trenches in a substrate, in which the first-type deep trenches have a first lengthwise direction along a first direction and the second-type deep trenches have a second lengthwise direction along a second direction; forming a capacitor structure over the substrate and in the first-type deep trenches and the second-type deep trenches, in which the capacitor structure includes a first metallic electrode layer, a node dielectric layer over the first metallic electrode layer, and a second metallic electrode layer over the node dielectric layer; and forming a first metal via over the capacitor structure and in contact with the second metallic electrode layer of the capacitor structure, in which a length of the first metal via is greater than a width of the first metal via from a top view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Fu-Chiang KUO, Yu-Han CHEN, Cheng-Wei LO
  • Publication number: 20240047552
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an embodiment of a method. The method includes patterning a substrate to form trenches; etching the substrate, thereby modifying the trenches with round tips; forming a stack including conductive layers and dielectric layers in the trenches, wherein the conductive layers and the dielectric layers alternate with one another within the stack; forming an insulating compressive film in the first trenches, thereby sealing voids in the trenches; and forming conductive plugs connected to the conductive layers, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Fu-Chiang Kuo, Hsin-Liang Chen, Hsin-Li Cheng, Ting-Chen Hsu
  • Publication number: 20240038654
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device are disclosed. In one aspect, at least one active deep trench capacitor (DTC), the at least one active DTC including a plurality of conductive layers and an insulating layer disposed between adjacent conductive layers of the plurality of conductive layers. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of dummy DTCs disposed on opposing sides of the at least one active DTC, the plurality of dummy DTCs and the at least one active DTC arranged in a row. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of conductive structures connected to the plurality of conductive layers of the active DTC, the plurality of dummy DTCs insulated from the at least one active DTC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Fu-Chiang Kuo, Yu-Hsin Fang, Ming-Syong Chen
  • Patent number: 11855129
    Abstract: A capacitance structure comprises a metal nitride layer, such as a titanium nitride (TiN) layer, a compositionally graded film formed on a surface of the metal nitride layer by thermal oxidation, and a dielectric layer disposed on the compositionally graded film. A method of manufacturing a capacitance structure includes forming a conductive layer, performing thermal oxidation of a surface of the conductive layer to produce a compositionally graded film on the conductive layer, and forming a dielectric layer on the compositionally graded film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Fu-Chiang Kuo
  • Publication number: 20230369213
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a first trench that extends along a first lateral direction and a second trench that extends along a second lateral direction; a first metal layer filling each of the first and second trenches; a second metal layer filling each of the first and second trenches, and disposed above and electrically isolated from the first metal layer; a first via structure in electrical contact with first metal layer; and a second via structure in electrical contact with second metal layer. When viewed from the top, the first via structure and the second via structure are interposed between the first trench and the second trench along the first lateral direction. The first via structure and the second via structure are disposed immediately adjacent to each other along the second lateral direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fu-Chiang Kuo, Meei-Shiou Chern, Jyun-Ting Hou
  • Publication number: 20230369388
    Abstract: A deep trench is formed in a substrate. A layer stack including at least three metallic electrode layers interlaced with at least two node dielectric layers is formed over the substrate. The layer stack continuously extends into the deep trench, and a cavity is present in an unfilled volume of the deep trench. A dielectric fill material layer including a dielectric fill material is formed in the cavity and over the substrate. The dielectric fill material layer encapsulates a void that is free of any solid phase and is formed within a volume of the cavity. The void may expand or shrink under stress during subsequently handling of a deep trench capacitor including the layer stack to absorb mechanical stress and to increase mechanical stability of the deep trench capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventor: Fu-Chiang KUO