Patents by Inventor Gordon Haller

Gordon Haller 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: 20140346613
    Abstract: There is provided fin methods for fabricating fin structures. More specifically, fin structures are formed in a substrate. The fin structures may include two fins separated by a channel, wherein the fins may be employed as fins of a field effect transistor. The fin structures are formed below the upper surface of the substrate, and may be formed without utilizing a photolithographic mask to etch the fins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Gordon Haller
  • Publication number: 20140239303
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a semiconductor device having a stack structure including a plurality of alternating tiers of dielectric material and poly-silicon formed on a substrate. Such a semiconductor device may further include at least one opening having a high aspect ratio and extending into the stack structure to a level adjacent the substrate, a first poly-silicon channel formed in a lower portion of the opening adjacent the substrate, a second poly-silicon channel formed in an upper portion of the opening, and WSiX material disposed between the first poly-silicon channel and the second poly-silicon channel in the opening. The WSiX material is adjacent to the substrate, and can be used as an etch-landing layer and a conductive contact to contact both the first poly-silicon channel and the second poly-silicon channel in the opening. Other embodiments include methods of making semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hongbin Zhu, Gordon Haller, Paul D. Long
  • Publication number: 20140167131
    Abstract: A method to fabricate a three dimensional memory structure may include creating a stack of layers including a conductive source layer, a first insulating layer, a select gate source layer, and a second insulating layer, and an array stack. A hole through the stack of layers may then be created using the conductive source layer as a stop-etch layer. The source material may have an etch rate no faster than 33% as fast as an etch rate of the insulating material for the etch process used to create the hole. A pillar of semiconductor material may then fill the hole, so that the pillar of semiconductor material is in electrical contact with the conductive source layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Inventors: Zhenyu Lu, Hongbin Zhu, Gordon A. Haller, Roger W. Lindsay, Andrew Bicksler, Brian J. Cleereman, Minsoo Lee
  • Patent number: 8748280
    Abstract: There is provided fin methods for fabricating fin structures. More specifically, fin structures are formed in a substrate. The fin structures may include two fins separated by a channel, wherein the fins may be employed as fins of a field effect transistor. The fin structures are formed below the upper surface of the substrate, and may be formed without utilizing a photolithographic mask to etch the fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Gordon Haller
  • Publication number: 20140027832
    Abstract: A memory array has first and second memory cells over a semiconductor and an isolation region extending into the semiconductor. The isolation region includes an air gap between charge-storage structures of the first and second memory cells and a thickness of dielectric over the air gap and contained between the first and second memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James Mathew, Gordon Haller, Ronald A. Weimer, John Hopkins, Vinayak K. Shamanna, Sanjeev Sapra
  • Patent number: 8569130
    Abstract: Methods of forming air gaps in memory arrays and memory arrays with air gaps thus formed are disclosed. One such method may include forming an isolation region, having a first dielectric, through a charge-storage structure that is over a semiconductor, the isolation region extending into the semiconductor; forming a second dielectric over the isolation region and charge-storage structure; and forming an air gap in the isolation region so that the air gap passes through the charge-storage structure and so that a thickness of the first dielectric is between the air gap and the second dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James Mathew, Gordon Haller, Ronald A. Weimer, John Hopkins, Vinayak K. Shamanna, Sanjeev Sapra
  • Patent number: 8546215
    Abstract: A memory device comprising a vertical transistor includes a digit line that is directly coupled to the source regions of each memory cell. Because an electrical plug is not used to form a contact between the digit line and the source regions, a number of fabrication steps may be reduced and the possibility for manufacturing defects may also be reduced. In some embodiments, a memory device may include a vertical transistor having gate regions that are recessed from an upper portion of a silicon substrate. With the gate regions recessed from the silicon substrate, the gate regions are spaced further from the source/drain regions and, accordingly, cross capacitance between the gate regions and the source/drain regions may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon Haller, Sanh Dang Tang, Steve Cummings
  • Publication number: 20130168756
    Abstract: Devices, memory arrays, and methods are disclosed. In an embodiment, one such device has a source/drain zone that has first and second active regions, and an isolation region and a dielectric plug between the first and second active regions. The dielectric plug may extend below upper surfaces of the first and second active regions and may be formed of a dielectric material having a lower removal rate than a dielectric material of the isolation region for a particular isotropic removal chemistry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: John Hopkins, James Mathew, Jie Sun, Gordon Haller
  • Patent number: 8446762
    Abstract: One-transistor (1T) capacitor-less DRAM cells each include a MOS transistor having a bias gate layer that separates a floating body region from a base substrate. The MOS transistor functions as a storage device, eliminating the need of the storage capacitor. Logic “1” is written to and stored in the storage device by causing majority carriers (holes in an NMOS transistor) to accumulate and be held in the floating body region next to the bias gate layer, and is erased by removing the majority carriers from where they are held.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Gordon A. Haller, Daniel H. Doyle
  • Patent number: 8409946
    Abstract: A method of forming a field effect transistor includes forming trench isolation material within a semiconductor substrate and on opposing sides of a semiconductor material channel region along a length of the channel region. The trench isolation material is formed to comprise opposing insulative projections extending toward one another partially under the channel region along the channel length and with semiconductor material being received over the projections. The trench isolation material is etched to expose opposing sides of the semiconductor material along the channel length. The exposed opposing sides of the semiconductor material are etched along the channel length to form a channel fin projecting upwardly relative to the projections. A gate is formed over a top and opposing sides of the fin along the channel length. Other methods and structures are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Grisham, Gordon A. Haller, Sahn D. Tang
  • Patent number: 8394699
    Abstract: A memory array includes a plurality of memory cells formed on a semiconductor substrate. Individual of the memory cells include first and second field effect transistors respectively comprising a gate, a channel region, and a pair of source/drain regions. The gates of the first and second field effect transistors are hard wired together. A conductive data line is hard wired to two of the source/drain regions. A charge storage device is hard wired to at least one of the source/drain regions other than the two. Other aspects and implementations are contemplated, including methods of fabricating memory arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon A. Haller, Sanh D. Tang
  • Publication number: 20130026600
    Abstract: Methods of forming air gaps in memory arrays and memory arrays with air gaps thus formed are disclosed. One such method may include forming an isolation region, having a first dielectric, through a charge-storage structure that is over a semiconductor, the isolation region extending into the semiconductor; forming a second dielectric over the isolation region and charge-storage structure; and forming an air gap in the isolation region so that the air gap passes through the charge-storage structure and so that a thickness of the first dielectric is between the air gap and the second dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: James Matthew, Gordon Haller, Ronald A. Weimer, John Hopkins, Vinayak K. Shamanna, Sanjeev Sapra
  • Patent number: 8349687
    Abstract: A transistor gate forming method includes forming a metal layer within a line opening and forming a fill layer within the opening over the metal layer. The fill layer is substantially selectively etchable with respect to the metal layer. A transistor structure includes a line opening, a dielectric layer within the opening, a metal layer over the dielectric layer within the opening, and a fill layer over the metal layer within the opening. The metal layer/fill layer combination exhibits less intrinsic less than would otherwise exist if the fill layer were replaced by an increased thickness of the metal layer. The inventions apply at least to 3-D transistor structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Gordon A. Haller, Prashant Raghu, Ravi Iyer
  • Publication number: 20120329231
    Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming isolation structures. A semiconductor base may be provided to have a crystalline semiconductor material projection between a pair of openings. SOD material (such as, for example, polysilazane) may be flowed within said openings to fill the openings. After the openings are filled with the SOD material, one or more dopant species may be implanted into the projection to amorphize the crystalline semiconductor material within an upper portion of said projection. The SOD material may then be annealed at a temperature of at least about 400° C. to form isolation structures. Some embodiments include semiconductor constructions that include a semiconductor material base having a projection between a pair of openings. The projection may have an upper region over a lower region, with the upper region being at least 75% amorphous, and with the lower region being entirely crystalline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Vladimir Mikhalev, Jim Fulford, Yongjun Jeff Hu, Gordon A. Haller, Lequn Liu
  • Publication number: 20120256244
    Abstract: A method of forming a field effect transistor includes forming trench isolation material within a semiconductor substrate and on opposing sides of a semiconductor material channel region along a length of the channel region. The trench isolation material is formed to comprise opposing insulative projections extending toward one another partially under the channel region along the channel length and with semiconductor material being received over the projections. The trench isolation material is etched to expose opposing sides of the semiconductor material along the channel length. The exposed opposing sides of the semiconductor material are etched along the channel length to form a channel fin projecting upwardly relative to the projections. A gate is formed over a top and opposing sides of the fin along the channel length. Other methods and structures are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Paul Grisham, Gordon A. Haller, Sanh D. Tang
  • Patent number: 8274081
    Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming isolation structures. A semiconductor base may be provided to have a crystalline semiconductor material projection between a pair of openings. SOD material (such as, for example, polysilazane) may be flowed within said openings to fill the openings. After the openings are filled with the SOD material, one or more dopant species may be implanted into the projection to amorphize the crystalline semiconductor material within an upper portion of said projection. The SOD material may then be annealed at a temperature of at least about 400° C. to form isolation structures. Some embodiments include semiconductor constructions that include a semiconductor material base having a projection between a pair of openings. The projection may have an upper region over a lower region, with the upper region being at least 75% amorphous, and with the lower region being entirely crystalline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Mikhalev, Jim Fulford, Yongjun Jeff Hu, Gordon A. Haller, Lequn Liu
  • Publication number: 20120231592
    Abstract: A memory device comprising a vertical transistor includes a digit line that is directly coupled to the source regions of each memory cell. Because an electrical plug is not used to form a contact between the digit line and the source regions, a number of fabrication steps may be reduced and the possibility for manufacturing defects may also be reduced. In some embodiments, a memory device may include a vertical transistor having gate regions that are recessed from an upper portion of a silicon substrate. With the gate regions recessed from the silicon substrate, the gate regions are spaced further from the source/drain regions and, accordingly, cross capacitance between the gate regions and the source/drain regions may be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Gordon Haller, Sanh Dang Tang, Steve Cummings
  • Patent number: 8252646
    Abstract: Methods are provided for simultaneously processing transistors in two different regions of an integrated circuit. Planar transistors are provided in a logic region while recessed access devices (RADs) are provided in an array region for a memory device. During gate stack patterning in the periphery, word lines are recessed within the trenches for the array RADs. Side wall spacer formation in the periphery simultaneously provides an insulating cap layer burying the word lines within the trenches of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Arthur Figura, Gordon A. Haller
  • Patent number: 8222102
    Abstract: A method of forming a field effect transistor includes forming trench isolation material within a semiconductor substrate and on opposing sides of a semiconductor material channel region along a length of the channel region. The trench isolation material is formed to comprise opposing insulative projections extending toward one another partially under the channel region along the channel length and with semiconductor material being received over the projections. The trench isolation material is etched to expose opposing sides of the semiconductor material along the channel length. The exposed opposing sides of the semiconductor material are etched along the channel length to form a channel fin projecting upwardly relative to the projections. A gate is formed over a top and opposing sides of the fin along the channel length. Other methods and structures are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul E. Grisham, Gordon A. Haller, Sanh D. Tang
  • Patent number: 8222105
    Abstract: A memory device comprising a vertical transistor includes a digit line that is directly coupled to the source regions of each memory cell. Because an electrical plug is not used to form a contact between the digit line and the source regions, a number of fabrication steps may be reduced and the possibility for manufacturing defects may also be reduced. In some embodiments, a memory device may include a vertical transistor having gate regions that are recessed from an upper portion of a silicon substrate. With the gate regions recessed from the silicon substrate, the gate regions are spaced further from the source/drain regions and, accordingly, cross capacitance between the gate regions and the source/drain regions may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon Haller, Sanh D. Tang, Steve Cummings