Patents by Inventor Huimei Zhou

Huimei Zhou 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: 20230187514
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to processing methods and resulting structures for co-integrating gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheets and comb-nanosheets on the same chip, wafer, or substrate. In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a GAA nanosheet device is formed in a first region of a substrate. The GAA nanosheet device includes a first nanosheet stack, a second nanosheet stack, and a first fin spacing distance between the first nanosheet stack and the second nanosheet stack. A comb-nanosheet device is formed in a second region of a substrate. The comb-nanosheet device includes a third nanosheet stack, a fourth nanosheet stack, and a second fin spacing distance between the third nanosheet stack and the fourth nanosheet stack that is less than the first fin spacing distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Julien Frougier, Nicolas Loubet, Ruilong Xie, Miaomiao Wang, Veeraraghavan S. Basker
  • Publication number: 20230187533
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same include forming dummy gate spacers in a trench in a semiconductor substrate. A dummy gate is formed in the trench. An exposed dummy gate spacer is replaced with a sacrificial spacer. A cap layer is formed over the dummy gate. The cap layer is etched to expose the dummy gate. The sacrificial spacer is replaced with an isolation dielectric spacer. The dummy gate is replaced with a conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Kangguo Cheng, Su Chen Fan, Miaomiao Wang
  • Patent number: 11676892
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and resulting structures for integrated circuits having metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors that serve as both decoupling capacitors and crack stops. In a non-limiting embodiment, an interconnect is formed on a first portion of a substrate in an interior region of the integrated circuit. A second portion of the substrate is exposed in an edge region of the integrated circuit. A MIM capacitor is formed over the second portion of the substrate in the edge region. The MIM capacitor includes two or more plates and one or more dielectric layers. Each dielectric layer is positioned between an adjacent pair of the two or more plates and a portion of the two or more plates extends over the interconnect in the interior region. A plate of the two or more plates is electrically coupled to a last metal wiring level of the interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Baozhen Li, Chih-Chao Yang, Huimei Zhou, Nan Jing
  • Publication number: 20230178596
    Abstract: A nanosheet device is provided that has high quality epitaxially grown source/drain regions and reduced parasitic capacitance which are afforded by forming an air gap between an epitaxially grown source/drain region and a semiconductor substrate. The isolation provided by the air gap does not need to extend beneath the channel region of the nanosheet device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: HUIMEI ZHOU, Yi Song, Kangguo Cheng, Ruilong Xie
  • Publication number: 20230160944
    Abstract: Reliability test macros for contact over active gate (COAG) layout designs are provided. In one aspect, a COAG layout design reliability test macro includes: gate-shaped dielectric structures disposed over an active area of a substrate; source/drain regions present on opposite sides of the gate-shaped dielectric structures; source/drain contacts in direct contact with the source/drain regions; a dielectric fill material disposed on the source/drain contacts; and gate contacts present over, and in direct contact with, the gate-shaped dielectric structures in the active area, wherein the dielectric fill material is present in between the gate contacts and the source/drain contacts. Methods of forming and using the present COAG layout design reliability test macros are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Huimei ZHOU, Ruilong XIE, Miaomiao WANG
  • Publication number: 20230139399
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate with a planar top surface. At least a first gate cut stressor within a first gate cut region separates a first transistor region from a second transistor region. The first gate cut stressor is directly upon the planar top surface and applies a first tensile force perpendicular to a channel of the first transistor region and perpendicular to a channel of the second transistor region. The tensile force may improve hole and/or electron mobility within a transistor in the first transistor region and within a transistor in the second transistor region. The gate cut stressor may include a lower material within the gate cut region and an upper material upon the lower material. Alternatively, the gate cut stressor may include a liner material that lines the gate cut region and an inner material upon the liner material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: HUIMEI ZHOU, Andrew M. Greene, Michael P. Belyansky, Oleg Gluschenkov, Robert Robison, JUNTAO LI, Richard A. Conti, FEE LI LIE
  • Publication number: 20230117743
    Abstract: A self-aligned buried power rail having an adjustable height is formed between a first semiconductor device region and a second semiconductor device region. The self-aligned buried power rail having the adjustable height has improved conductivity. Notably, the self-aligned buried power rail has a first portion having a first height that is present in a gate cut trench and a second portion having a second height, which is greater than the first height, that is present in a source/drain cut trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: HUIMEI ZHOU, Huiming Bu, MIAOMIAO WANG, Ruilong Xie
  • Publication number: 20230110825
    Abstract: In one embodiment a semiconductor structure comprises a semiconductor substrate, a trench dielectric layer disposed in a trench of the semiconductor substrate, a first source/drain region disposed in contact with the semiconductor substrate, a gate and a second source/drain region. The gate is disposed between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region. The semiconductor structure further comprises a dielectric isolation layer disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the second source/drain region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Julien Frougier, Xuefeng Liu, Jingyun Zhang, Lan Yu, Heng Wu, Miaomiao Wang, Veeraraghavan S. Basker
  • Publication number: 20230107182
    Abstract: VFET devices having a porous bottom air spacer formed by oxidation are provided. In one aspect, a VFET device includes: at least one fin present on a substrate, wherein the at least one fin serves as a vertical fin channel of the VFET device; a bottom source/drain region at a base of the at least one fin; a bottom air-containing spacer disposed on the bottom source/drain region; a gate stack alongside the at least one fin; a top spacer above the gate stack at a top of the at least one fin; and a top source/drain region at a top of the at least one fin. A method of forming a VFET device is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: HUIMEI ZHOU, Yi Song, Veeraraghavan S. Basker, Curtis S. Durfee, Shahab Siddiqui
  • Publication number: 20230103999
    Abstract: A CFET (complementary field effect transistor) structure including a first transistor disposed above a second transistor, a first source/drain region of the first transistor disposed above a second source/drain region of the second transistor, a first source/drain contact for the first source/drain region, and a second source drain contact for the second source drain region. The first source/drain contact is isolated from the second source/drain contact by an L-shaped isolation element including vertical and horizontal isolation elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: HUIMEI ZHOU, Alexander Reznicek, MIAOMIAO WANG, Ruilong Xie
  • Publication number: 20230099643
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same include a first device region, a second device region, and an inter-device dielectric spacer between the first device region and the second device region. The first device region includes a first device channel, a first-polarity work function metal layer on the first device channel, and a second-polarity work function metal layer on the first device channel. The second device region include a second device channel, and a second-polarity work function metal layer on the second device channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Julien Frougier, Huimei Zhou, Ruilong Xie, Chanro Park, Kangguo Cheng
  • Publication number: 20230102261
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices, integrated chips, and methods of forming the same include forming a fill over a stack of semiconductor layers. The stack of semiconductor layers includes a first sacrificial layer and a set of alternating second sacrificial layers and channel layers. A dielectric fin is formed over the stack of semiconductor layers. The first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layers are etched away, leaving the channel layers supported by the dielectric fin over an exposed substrate surface. A dielectric layer is conformally deposited on the exposed substrate surface, the dielectric layer having a consistent thickness across the top surface. A conductive material is deposited over the dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Andrew M. Greene, Julien Frougier, Ruqiang Bao, Jingyun Zhang, Miaomiao Wang, Dechao Guo
  • Publication number: 20230088799
    Abstract: A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor structure includes a substrate extending along a first direction to define a length, a second direction orthogonal to the first direction to define a width, and a third direction orthogonal to the first and second direction to define a height. The substrate includes a first capacitance region and a second capacitance region. The first capacitance region has a first maximum operating voltage (Vmax) and the second capacitance region has a second Vmax that is greater than the first Vmax.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Baozhen Li, Chih-Chao Yang, Nan Jing, Huimei Zhou
  • Publication number: 20230084798
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and resulting structures for integrated circuits having metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors that serve as both decoupling capacitors and crack stops. In a non-limiting embodiment, an interconnect is formed on a first portion of a substrate in an interior region of the integrated circuit. A second portion of the substrate is exposed in an edge region of the integrated circuit. A MIM capacitor is formed over the second portion of the substrate in the edge region. The MIM capacitor includes two or more plates and one or more dielectric layers. Each dielectric layer is positioned between an adjacent pair of the two or more plates and a portion of the two or more plates extends over the interconnect in the interior region. A plate of the two or more plates is electrically coupled to a last metal wiring level of the interconnect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Baozhen Li, Chih-Chao Yang, HUIMEI ZHOU, Nan JING
  • Publication number: 20230073924
    Abstract: A buried power rail is provided in a non-active device region. The buried power rail includes a dielectric liner located on a lower portion of a sidewall and a bottommost surface of the buried power rail. A dielectric cap is located on an upper portion of the sidewall of the buried power rail as well as on a topmost surface of the buried power rail. The dielectric cap is present during the fabrication of a functional gate structure and thus the problems associated with prior art buried power rails are circumvented. The dielectric cap can be removed after the functional gate structure has been formed and a via to buried power rail (VBPR) contact structure can be formed in contact with the buried power rail. In some applications, and after a gate cut process, a gate cut dielectric structure can be formed in contact with the dielectric cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, HUIMEI ZHOU, Julien Frougier, Kisik Choi
  • Publication number: 20230065715
    Abstract: A complementary field effect transistor (CFET) structure including a first transistor disposed above a second transistor, and a first source/drain region of the first transistor disposed above a second source/drain region of the second transistor, wherein the second source/drain region comprises a recessed notch beneath the first source/drain region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, HUIMEI ZHOU, MIAOMIAO WANG, Alexander Reznicek
  • Publication number: 20220392797
    Abstract: An approach for creating a buried local interconnect around a DDB (double diffusion break) to reduce parasitic capacitance on a semiconductor device is disclosed. The approach utilizes a metal, as the local interconnect, buried in a cavity around the DDB region of a semiconductor substrate. The metal is disposed by two dielectric layers and the substrate. The two dielectric layers are recessed beneath two gate spacers. The buried local interconnect is recessed into the cavity where the top surface of the interconnect is situated below the top surface of the surrounding S/D (source/drain) epi (epitaxy). The metal of the local interconnect can be made from W, Ru or Co.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Lan Yu, Chen Zhang, HUIMEI ZHOU, Ruilong Xie
  • Publication number: 20220130992
    Abstract: A method of forming stacked fin field effect devices is provided. The method includes forming a layer stack on a substrate, wherein the layer stack includes a first semiconductor layer on a surface of the substrate, a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer on the second semiconductor layer, a separation layer on the third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer on the separation layer, a fifth semiconductor layer on the fourth semiconductor layer, and a sixth semiconductor layer on the fifth semiconductor layer. The method further includes forming a plurality of channels through the layer stack to the surface of the substrate, and removing portions of the second semiconductor layer and fifth semiconductor layer to form lateral grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Su Chen Fan, Shogo Mochizuki, Peng Xu, Nicolas J. Loubet
  • Patent number: 11282962
    Abstract: A method of controlling threshold voltage shift that includes forming a first set of channel semiconductor regions on a first portion of a substrate, and forming a second set of channel semiconductor regions on a second portion of the substrate. A gate structure is formed on the first set of channel semiconductor regions and the second set of channel, wherein the gate structure extends from a first portion of the substrate over an isolation region to a second portion of the substrate. A gate cut region is formed in the gate structure over the isolation region. An oxygen scavenging metal containing layer is formed on sidewalls of the gate cut region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Ruqiang Bao, Michael P. Belyansky, Andrew M. Greene, Gen Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 11282186
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention includes reading a scale in image data representing an image of physical characteristics and resizing at least a portion of the image data to align with target image data representing a target image based at least in part on the scale to form resized image data representing one or more resized images. Noise reduction is applied to the resized image data to produce test image data representing one or more test images. A best fit analysis is performed on the test image data with respect to the target image data. Test image data having the best fit are stored with training image data representing classification training images indicative of one or more recognized features. An anomaly in unclassified image data representing an unclassified image is identified based at least in part on an anomaly detector as trained using the classification training images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dechao Guo, Liying Jiang, Derrick Liu, Jingyun Zhang, Huimei Zhou