Patents by Inventor Haruyuki Sorada

Haruyuki Sorada 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: 9543427
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: semiconductor layer having an impurity region of a first conductivity type; a gate insulating layer, at least a part of the gate insulating layer positioned on the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode positioned on the gate insulating layer and having a first surface in contact with the part of the gate insulating film and a second surface opposite to the first surface; an interlayer insulating layer covering the gate electrode; and an electrode in contact with the impurity region. The gate electrode has a recess at a corner in contact with the second surface, in a cross section of the gate electrode perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor layer. A cavity surrounded by the gate electrode and the interlayer insulating layer is positioned in a region including at least a part of the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chiaki Kudou, Haruyuki Sorada, Tsuneichiro Sano
  • Publication number: 20160071971
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: semiconductor layer having an impurity region of a first conductivity type; a gate insulating layer, at least a part of the gate insulating layer positioned on the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode positioned on the gate insulating layer and having a first surface in contact with the part of the gate insulating film and a second surface opposite to the first surface; an interlayer insulating layer covering the gate electrode; and an electrode in contact with the impurity region. The gate electrode has a recess at a corner in contact with the second surface, in a cross section of the gate electrode perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor layer. A cavity surrounded by the gate electrode and the interlayer insulating layer is positioned in a region including at least a part of the recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: CHIAKI KUDOU, HARUYUKI SORADA, TSUNEICHIRO SANO
  • Patent number: 9214628
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory element according to the present invention includes a first metal line; a plug formed on the first metal line and connected to the first metal line; a stacked structure including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a variable resistance layer, the stacked structure being formed on a plug which is connected to the first electrode; a second metal line formed on the stacked structure and directly connected to the second electrode; and a side wall protective layer which covers the side wall of the stacked structure and has an insulating property and an oxygen barrier property, wherein part of a lower surface of the second metal line is located under an upper surface of the stacked structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Himeno, Haruyuki Sorada, Yukio Hayakawa, Takumi Mikawa
  • Patent number: 9130036
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a substrate with an off-angle; an SiC layer provided on a principal surface of the substrate, including an n type drift region, and having a trench whose bottom is located in the drift region; and a gate electrode provided in the trench in the SiC layer. In the trench in the SiC layer, a first angle formed by at least part of a first sidewall on an off-direction side and the principal surface of the substrate is an obtuse angle, and a second angle formed by at least part of a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall and the principal surface of the substrate is an acute angle, in a cross section parallel to a direction of a normal line to the principal surface of the substrate and a direction of a c-axis of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Kiyosawa, Kazuhiro Kagawa, Yasuyuki Yanase, Haruyuki Sorada
  • Publication number: 20150137221
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a substrate with an off-angle; an SiC layer provided on a principal surface of the substrate, including an n type drift region, and having a trench whose bottom is located in the drift region; and a gate electrode provided in the trench in the SiC layer. In the trench in the SiC layer, a first angle formed by at least part of a first sidewall on an off-direction side and the principal surface of the substrate is an obtuse angle, and a second angle formed by at least part of a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall and the principal surface of the substrate is an acute angle, in a cross section parallel to a direction of a normal line to the principal surface of the substrate and a direction of a c-axis of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Tsutomo Kiyosawa, Kazuhiro Kagawa, Yasuyuki Yanase, Haruyuki Sorada
  • Patent number: 9012294
    Abstract: Each of the step of forming a first variable resistance layer (18a) and the step of forming a second variable resistance layer (18b) includes performing a cycle once or plural times, the cycle consisting of a first step of introducing a source gas composed of molecules containing atoms of a transition metal; a second step of removing the source gas after the first step; a third step of introducing a reactive gas to form a transition metal oxide after the second step; and a fourth step of removing the reactive gas after the third step. The step of forming the first variable resistance layer (18a) is performed in a state in which the substrate is kept at a temperature at which a self-decomposition reaction of the source gas does not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Fujii, Takumi Mikawa, Haruyuki Sorada
  • Patent number: 8900965
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a nonvolatile memory device that is a variable resistance nonvolatile memory device, which has good consistency with a dual damascene process that is suitable for the formation of fine copper lines and which enables large capacity and high integration. This method includes: forming a variable resistance element, a contact hole and a line groove; and forming a current steering layer of a bidirectional diode element above interlayer insulating layers and a variable resistance layer to cover the line groove without covering a bottom surface of the contact hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Haruyuki Sorada, Takumi Mikawa, Kenji Tominaga, Kiyotaka Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8618526
    Abstract: Provided are a nonvolatile memory device which can suppress non-uniformity in initial breakdown voltages among nonvolatile memory elements and prevent reduction of yield, and a manufacturing method thereof. The nonvolatile memory device includes a nonvolatile memory element (108) having a stacked-layer structure in which a resistance variable layer (106) is parallel to a main surface of a substrate (117) and is planarized, and a plug (103) electrically connected to either a first electrode (105) or a second electrode (107), and an area of an end surface of a plug (103) at which the plug (103) and the nonvolatile memory element (108) are connected together, the end surface being parallel to the main surface of the substrate (117), is greater than a cross-sectional area of a cross-section of a first transition metal oxide layer (115) which is an electrically-conductive region, the cross-section being parallel to the main surface of the substrate (117).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Haruyuki Sorada, Takeki Ninomiya, Takumi Mikawa, Yukio Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 8592798
    Abstract: A variable resistance non-volatile storage device includes: a first line which includes a barrier metal layer and a main layer, and fills an inside of a line trench formed in a first interlayer insulating layer; a first electrode covering a top surface of the first line and comprising a precious metal; memory cell holes formed in a second interlayer insulating layer; a variable resistance layer formed in the memory cell holes and connected to the first electrode; and second lines covering the variable resistance layer and the memory cell holes, wherein in an area near the memory cell holes, the main layer is covered with the barrier metal layer and the first electrode in an arbitrary widthwise cross section of the first line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Mikawa, Haruyuki Sorada
  • Patent number: 8581225
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes forming, on a substrate, lower layer copper lines each being shaped into a strip, forming electrode seed layers each being shaped into a strip, on the respective lower layer copper lines using electroless plating, forming an interlayer insulating layer above the electrode seed layers, forming, in the interlayer insulating layer, memory cell holes, penetrating through the interlayer insulating layer and extending to the electrode seed layers, forming noble metal electrode layers on the electrode seed layers exposed in the respective memory cell holes using the electroless plating, forming, in the respective memory cell holes, variable resistance layers connected to the noble electrode layers, and forming, above the interlayer insulating layer and the variable resistance layers, upper layer copper lines each being shaped into a strip, connected to a corresponding one of the variable resistance layers, and crossing the lower layer copper lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Himeno, Haruyuki Sorada, Takumi Mikawa
  • Patent number: 8563987
    Abstract: The semiconductor device 100 of this invention includes: a semiconductor layer 2 arranged on the principal surface of a substrate 1 and made of a wide bandgap semiconductor; a trench 5 which is arranged in the semiconductor layer 2 and which has a bottom and a side surface; an insulating region 11 arranged on the bottom and side surface of the trench 5; and a conductive layer 7 arranged in the trench 5 and insulated from the semiconductor layer 2 by the insulating region 11. The insulating region 11 includes a gate insulating film 6 arranged on the bottom and the side surface of the trench 5 and a gap 10 arranged between the gate insulating film 6 and the conductive layer 7 at the bottom of the trench 5. The gate insulating film 6 contacts with the conductive layer 7 on a portion of the side surface of the trench 5 but does not contact with the conductive layer 7 at the bottom of the trench 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Haruyuki Sorada
  • Publication number: 20130224931
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a nonvolatile memory device that is a variable resistance nonvolatile memory device, which has good consistency with a dual damascene process that is suitable for the formation of fine copper lines and which enables large capacity and high integration. This method includes: forming a variable resistance element, a contact hole and a line groove; and forming a current steering layer of a bidirectional diode element above interlayer insulating layers and a variable resistance layer to cover the line groove without covering a bottom surface of the contact hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventors: Haruyuki Sorada, Takumi Mikawa, Kenji Tominaga, Kiyotaka Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8486788
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate in which a trench is formed; a source region and a drain region each of which is buried in the trench and contains an impurity of the same conductive type; a semiconductor FIN buried in the trench and provided between the source and drain regions; a gate insulating film provided on a side surface of the semiconductor FIN as well as the upper surface of the semiconductor FIN; and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Junko Iwanaga, Takeshi Takagi, Yoshihiko Kanzawa, Haruyuki Sorada, Tohru Saitoh, Takahiro Kawashima
  • Publication number: 20130122651
    Abstract: Each of the step of forming a first variable resistance layer (18a) and the step of forming a second variable resistance layer (18b) includes performing a cycle once or plural times, the cycle consisting of a first step of introducing a source gas composed of molecules containing atoms of a transition metal; a second step of removing the source gas after the first step; a third step of introducing a reactive gas to form a transition metal oxide after the second step; and a fourth step of removing the reactive gas after the third step. The step of forming the first variable resistance layer (18a) is performed in a state in which the substrate is kept at a temperature at which a self-decomposition reaction of the source gas does not occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Fujii, Takumi Mikawa, Haruyuki Sorada
  • Publication number: 20130112935
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory element according to the present invention includes a first metal line; a plug formed on the first metal line and connected to the first metal line; a stacked structure including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a variable resistance layer, the stacked structure being formed on a plug which is connected to the first electrode; a second metal line formed on the stacked structure and directly connected to the second electrode; and a side wall protective layer which covers the side wall of the stacked structure and has an insulating property and an oxygen barrier property, wherein part of a lower surface of the second metal line is located under an upper surface of the stacked structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Inventors: Atsushi Himeno, Haruyuki Sorada, Yukio Hayakawa, Takumi Mikawa
  • Publication number: 20130043490
    Abstract: The semiconductor device 100 of this invention includes: a semiconductor layer 2 arranged on the principal surface of a substrate 1 and made of a wide bandgap semiconductor; a trench 5 which is arranged in the semiconductor layer 2 and which has a bottom and a side surface; an insulating region 11 arranged on the bottom and side surface of the trench 5; and a conductive layer 7 arranged in the trench 5 and insulated from the semiconductor layer 2 by the insulating region 11. The insulating region 11 includes a gate insulating film 6 arranged on the bottom and the side surface of the trench 5 and a gap 10 arranged between the gate insulating film 6 and the conductive layer 7 at the bottom of the trench 5. The gate insulating film 6 contacts with the conductive layer 7 on a portion of the side surface of the trench 5 but does not contact with the conductive layer 7 at the bottom of the trench 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Haruyuki Sorada
  • Publication number: 20130037777
    Abstract: A variable resistance non-volatile storage device includes: a first line which includes a barrier metal layer and a main layer, and fills an inside of a line trench formed in a first interlayer insulating layer; a first electrode covering a top surface of the first line and comprising a precious metal; memory cell holes formed in a second interlayer insulating layer; a variable resistance layer formed in the memory cell holes and connected to the first electrode; and second lines covering the variable resistance layer and the memory cell holes, wherein in an area near the memory cell holes, the main layer is covered with the barrier metal layer and the first electrode in an arbitrary widthwise cross section of the first line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Inventors: Takumi Mikawa, Haruyuki Sorada
  • Publication number: 20120292588
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device including: a strip-shaped first electrode line (151); a third interlayer insulating layer (16); a variable resistance layer having a stacked structure including a first variable resistance layer (18a) comprising an oxygen-deficient transition metal oxide and formed in a memory cell hole (29) to cover a bottom and a side face, and a second variable resistance layer (18b) comprising an oxygen- and/or nitrogen-deficient transition metal oxynitride having a different oxygen content than the first variable resistance layer; a first electrode (19) formed in the memory cell hole; and a strip-shaped first line (22) formed in a direction crossing the first electrode line (151) to cover at least an opening of the memory cell hole, and z>(x+y) is satisfied when the transition metal is represented by M and compositions of the first and the second variable resistance layers by MOz and MOxNy, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Satoru Fujii, Haruyuki Sorada, Takumi Mikawa
  • Publication number: 20120199805
    Abstract: Provided are a nonvolatile memory device which can suppress non-uniformity in initial breakdown voltages among nonvolatile memory elements and prevent reduction of yield, and a manufacturing method thereof. The nonvolatile memory device includes a nonvolatile memory element (108) having a stacked-layer structure in which a resistance variable layer (106) is parallel to a main surface of a substrate (117) and is planarized, and a plug (103) electrically connected to either a first electrode (105) or a second electrode (107), and an area of an end surface of a plug (103) at which the plug (103) and the nonvolatile memory element (108) are connected together, the end surface being parallel to the main surface of the substrate (117), is greater than a cross-sectional area of a cross-section of a first transition metal oxide layer (115) which is an electrically-conductive region, the cross-section being parallel to the main surface of the substrate (117).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Haruyuki Sorada, Takeki Ninomiya, Takumi Mikawa, Yukio Hayakawa
  • Publication number: 20120104350
    Abstract: A step of forming, on a substrate (11), lower layer copper lines (18) each being shaped into a strip, a step of forming electrode seed layers (21) each being shaped into a strip, on the surfaces of the respective lower layer copper lines (18) using electroless plating, a step of forming interlayer insulating layer (19) above the electrode seed layers (21) and the substrate (11), a step of forming, in the interlayer insulating layer (19), memory cell holes (20), penetrating through the interlayer insulating layer (19) and extending to the electrode seed layers (21), a step of forming noble metal electrode layers (29) on the surfaces of the electrode seed layers (21) exposed in the respective memory cell holes (20) using the electroless plating, a step of forming, in the respective memory cell holes (20), variable resistance layers (23) connected to the noble electrode layers (29), and a step of forming, above the interlayer insulating layer (19) and the variable resistance layers (23), upper layer copper lines
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Atsushi Himeno, Haruyuki Sorada, Takumi Mikawa