Patents by Inventor Gary B. Bronner

Gary B. Bronner 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: 20020022315
    Abstract: A structure and method for a capacitor-over-bitline integrated circuit device includes forming a device on a substrate, forming a capacitor contact electrically connected to the device, forming a bitline trench using the capacitor contact to align the bitline trench, forming insulating spacers in the bitline trench, forming a conductive bitline in the trench, the bitline being electrically connected to the device, forming an inter-layer dielectric over the bitline, and forming a capacitor above the inter-layer dielectric, such that the capacitor is electrically connected to the capacitor contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Carl J. Radens
  • Patent number: 6348374
    Abstract: A method of forming a vertical transistor. A pad layer is formed over a semiconductor substrate. A trough is formed through the pad layer and in the semiconductor substrate. A bit line is formed buried in the trough. The bit line is enclosed by a dielectric material. A strap is formed extending through the dielectric material to connect the bit line to the semiconductor substrate. The trough is filled above the bit line with a conductor. The conductor is cut along its longitudinal axis such that the conductor remains on one side of the trough. Wordline troughs are formed, substantially orthogonal to the bit line, above the semiconductor substrate. A portion of the conductor is removed under the wordline trough to separate the conductor into separate gate conductors. Wordlines are formed in the wordline trough connected to the separate gate conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines
    Inventors: Satish D. Athavale, Gary B. Bronner, Ramachandra Divakaruni, Ulrike Gruening, Jack A. Mandelman, Carl J. Radens
  • Patent number: 6344389
    Abstract: A structure and method for a capacitor-over-bitline integrated circuit device includes forming a device on a substrate, forming a capacitor contact electrically connected to the device, forming a bitline trench using the capacitor contact to align the bitline trench, forming insulating spacers in the bitline trench, forming a conductive bitline in the trench, the bitline being electrically connected to the device, forming an inter-layer dielectric over the bitline, and forming a capacitor above the inter-layer dielectric, such that the capacitor is electrically connected to the capacitor contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Carl J. Radens
  • Patent number: 6339001
    Abstract: A method and structure for forming an integrated circuit chip having multiple-thickness gate dielectrics includes forming a gate dielectric layer over a substrate, forming a sacrificial layer over the gate dielectric layer, forming first openings through the sacrificial layer to expose the gate dielectric layer in the first openings, growing a first gate dielectric having a thickness greater than that of the gate dielectric layer in the first openings, depositing a first gate conductor above the first gate dielectric in the first openings, forming a second opening through the sacrificial layer to expose the gate dielectric layer in the second opening, and depositing a second gate conductor in the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Jeffrey P. Gambino
  • Publication number: 20010050385
    Abstract: A DRAM memory cell array includes a wiring layer formed at a storage-capacitor level of the cell for establishing a flipped connection of complementary bit lines, or for connecting support circuits in a DRAM cell array. The wiring layer includes at least one and preferably two capacitor electrodes for making both types of interconnects. A method for making the DRAM memory cell includes forming one or more capacitor electrodes at the same time the electrodes of the storage capacitor of the memory cell are formed, and from the same material as the storage capacitor electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2001
    Publication date: December 13, 2001
    Inventors: David E. Kotecki, Carl J. Radens, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Gary B. Bronner
  • Patent number: 6281064
    Abstract: A method for providing dual work function doping and borderless array diffusion contacts includes providing a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulator, a conductor on the gate insulator, an insulating cap on the conductor and insulating spacers on sidewalls of a portion of the conductor and the insulating cap. The method also includes doping portions of the semiconductor substrate and the conductor with a first conductive type and other portions with a second conductive type. The conductor may be annealed such that dopants of the first and second conductive types spread over the respective conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jack A. Mandelman, Gary B. Bronner, Ramachandra Divakaruni
  • Patent number: 6265308
    Abstract: A process of forming a wiring in a semiconductor interlayer dielectric, include simultaneously patterning a via and a slotted line in the interlayer diectric, simultaneously etching the via and the slotted line, and simultaneously filling the via and the slotted line with a metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Greg Costrini, Carl J. Radens, Rainer F. Schnabel
  • Patent number: 6258689
    Abstract: Trench capacitors are fabricated utilizing a method which results in a metallic nitride as a portion of a node electrode in a lower region of the trench. The metallic nitride-containing trench electrode exhibits reduced series resistance compared to conventional trench electrodes of similar dimensions, thereby enabling reduced ground rule memory cell layouts and/or reduced cell access time. The trench capacitors of the invention are especially useful as components of DRAM memory cells having various trench configuration and design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Jack A. Mandelman, Rick L. Mohler, Carl Radens, William R. Tonti
  • Patent number: 6214686
    Abstract: A method of forming spatially offset storage nodes for deep trench-based DRAMs on a semiconductor substrate. The method involves etching trenches in the surface of the substrate, masking adjacent trenches with a resist material, etching exposed trenches to a depth of about 1 micron. Removing the masking and etching all the trenches to form bulbulous regions in the sidewall of the trenches. The adjacent trenches having vertically spaced bulbulous regions are filled with dielectric material to form high capacitance storage nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ramachandra Divakaruni, Gary B. Bronner
  • Patent number: 6200834
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device, including forming a substrate with a memory array region and a logic device region, growing a thick gate dielectric over the substrate, forming a gate stack, including a first polysilicon layer, over the thick gate dielectric for the memory array region, forming a thin gate dielectric on the substrate over the logic device region, wherein layers of the gate stack in the memory array region protect the thick gate oxide during the forming of the thin gate dielectric, forming a second polysilicon layer for the gate stack in the logic device region, to produce a resulting structure, wherein a thickness of the second polysilicon layer is at least as thick as the gate stack in the memory array region, planarizing the structure using chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), and patterning the gate stacks in said memory array region and the logic device region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Jeffrey Peter Gambino, Carl J. Radens
  • Patent number: 6201272
    Abstract: A DRAM memory cell array includes a wiring layer formed at a storage-capacitor level of the cell for establishing a flipped connection of complementary bit lines, or for connecting support circuits in a DRAM cell array. The wiring layer includes at least one and preferably two capacitor electrodes for making both types of interconnects. A method for making the DRAM memory cell includes forming one or more capacitor electrodes at the same time the electrodes of the storage capacitor of the memory cell are formed, and from the same material as the storage capacitor electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David E. Kotecki, Carl J. Radens, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Gary B. Bronner
  • Patent number: 6197632
    Abstract: This invention relates to integrated circuit product and processes. More particularly, the invention relates to high performance Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chips and processes for making such chips. An IC fabrication is provided, according to an aspect of the invention, including a silicon wafer, a DRAM array fabrication disposed on said silicon wafer having a first multitude of gate sidewall oxides, and a logic support device fabrication disposed on said wafer adjacent said DRAM array fabrication and having a second multitude of gate sidewall oxides, said first multitude of gate sidewall oxides being substantially thicker than said second multitude of gate sidewall oxides. Methods of making IC fabrications according to the invention are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Rama Divakaruni, Scott Halle, Dale W. Martin, Rajesh Rengarajan, Mary E. Weybright
  • Patent number: 6180972
    Abstract: A buried plate particularly suitable for formation of a common plate of a plurality of trench capacitors, such as are employed in dynamic random access memories, is formed by implantation of impurities in one or more regions of a wafer or semiconductor layer, epitaxially growing a layer of semiconductor material over the implanted regions and diffusing the implanted impurities into the wafer or semiconductor layer and into the epitaxial layer. Diffusion from such a source avoids process complexity compared with provision of diffusion sources within capacitor trenches and further provides an impurity concentration profile which varies with depth within the resulting body of semiconductor material, resulting in a well-defined boundary of the buried plate and an isolation region both above and below the buried plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corp., Infineon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Wilfried Hansch, Wendell P. Noble
  • Patent number: 6177696
    Abstract: A trench capacitor structure suitable for use in a semiconductor integrated circuit device and the process sequence used to form the structure. The trench capacitor provides increased capacitance by including a capacitor plate consisting of textured, hemispherical-grained silicon. The trench capacitor also includes a buried plate to reduce depletion of stored charge from the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Infineon Technologies North America Corp.
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Laertis Economikos, Rajarao Jammy, Byeongju Park, Carl J. Radens, Martin E. Schrems
  • Patent number: 6174762
    Abstract: A method and structure for a field effect transistor structure for dynamic random access memory integrated circuit devices has a gate conductor, salicide regions positioned along sides of the gate conductor, a gate cap positioned above the gate conductor and at least one self-aligned contact adjacent the gate conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Louis L. Hsu, Jack A. Mandelman, Carl J. Radens, William R. Tonti
  • Patent number: 6124199
    Abstract: A DRAM memory cell array includes a wiring layer formed at a storage-capacitor level of the cell for establishing a flipped connection of complementary bit lines, or for connecting support circuits in a DRAM cell array. The wiring layer includes a lower capacitor electrode and upper capacitor electrode which are formed simultaneously with respective plates of a storage capacitor. Both capacitor electrodes may be used to form distinct interconnections within a DRAM cell array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Gambino, Gary B. Bronner, David E. Kotecki, Carl J. Radens
  • Patent number: 6110792
    Abstract: A method of forming a trench capacitor comprises steps of forming a trench in a substrate, partially filling the trench with a first conductive material, lining a portion of the trench above the first conductive material with a collar material, etching the collar material to a strap depth below a top of the trench, and filling the trench with a second conductive material, wherein a portion of the second conductive material positioned between the strap depth and the top of the trench comprises a buried strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Siemens Microelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Carl J. Radens, Juergen Wittmann
  • Patent number: 6107135
    Abstract: A method of forming a buried plate electrode for a trench capacitor of a semiconductor memory device is provided. Trenches are formed in a semiconductor substrate and a dopant source film is formed on the sidewalls and bottom walls of the trenches. A resist is formed on the dopant source film which fills in the trenches. The resist is recessed to remain in the trenches at a level which is below the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Impurities are implanted into the semiconductor substrate using the recessed resist as a block mask. The dopant source film is etched using the recessed resist as an etching mask and the recessed resist is then removed. The implanted impurities and dopants from the dopant source film are diffused into the semiconductor substrate to form a buried plate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Richard L. Kleinhenz, Gary B. Bronner, Junichiro Iba
  • Patent number: 6063657
    Abstract: A method and structure for forming a buried strap in a dynamic random access memory structure. The method includes forming a trench adjacent a pass transistor of the dynamic random access memory structure, partially filling the trench with a conductor, forming a collar surrounding an upper portion of the conductor, forming a spacer in a portion of the trench above the conductor, forming an insulator in a remainder of the upper portion of the trench, forming a shallow trench isolation region on one side of the trench opposite the pass transistor, removing the spacer to form a gap between the insulator and the pass transistor, and filling the gap with a conductor to form the buried strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Ramachandra Divakaruni
  • Patent number: 6037194
    Abstract: A memory cell having a grooved gate formed in a sub-lithographic groove, and methods of making thereof are disclosed. The groove extends the channel length to include the groove sidewalls and width of the groove. Sidewall sections of the channel located along the gate sidewalls have a larger length than the bottom channel section length located along the gate bottom width. Thus, the memory device is primarily controlled by the sidewall channel sections, instead of the bottom channel section. The groove may be a stepped groove formed by a two step etch to further increase the channel length and may be formed centered along the gate conductor width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Coirporation
    Inventors: Gary B. Bronner, Toshiharu Furukawa, Mark C. Hakey, Steven J. Holmes, David V. Horak, Jack A. Mandelman, Paul A. Rabidoux