Patents by Inventor Jerome Michael Eldridge

Jerome Michael Eldridge 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).

  • Methods of forming capacitor structures
    Patent number: 7192827
    Abstract: The invention includes a method of forming a capacitor structure. A first electrical node is formed, and a layer of metallic aluminum is formed over the first electrical node. Subsequently, an entirety of the metallic aluminum within the layer is transformed into one or more of AlN, AlON, and AlO, with the transformed layer being a dielectric material over the first electrical node. A second electrical node is then formed over the dielectric material. The first electrical node, second electrical node and dielectric material together define at least a portion of the capacitor structure. The invention also pertains to a capacitor structure which includes a first electrical node, a second electrical node, and a dielectric material between the first and second electrical nodes. The dielectric material consists essentially of aluminum, oxygen and nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonard Forbes, Kie Y. Ahn, Jerome Michael Eldridge
  • Capacitor structures
    Patent number: 7166883
    Abstract: The invention includes a method of forming a capacitor structure. A first electrical node is formed, and a layer of metallic aluminum is formed over the first electrical node. Subsequently, an entirety of the metallic aluminum within the layer is transformed into one or more of AlN, AlON, and AlO, with the transformed layer being a dielectric material over the first electrical node. A second electrical node is then formed over the dielectric material. The first electrical node, second electrical node and dielectric material together define at least a portion of the capacitor structure. The invention also pertains to a capacitor structure which includes a first electrical node, a second electrical node, and a dielectric material between the first and second electrical nodes. The dielectric material consists essentially of aluminum, oxygen and nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonard Forbes, Kie Y. Ahn, Jerome Michael Eldridge
  • Methods of forming void regions, dielectric regions and capacitor constructions
    Patent number: 6902984
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of forming a void region associated with a substrate, comprising: a) providing a substrate; b) forming a sacrificial mass over the substrate; c) subjecting the mass to hydrogen to convert a component of the mass to a volatile form; and d) volatilizing the volatile form of the component from the mass to leave a void region associated with the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerome Michael Eldridge
  • Methods of forming void regions, dielectric regions and capacitor constructions
    Publication number: 20040198016
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of forming a void region associated with a substrate, comprising: a) providing a substrate; b) forming a sacrificial mass over the substrate; c) subjecting the mass to hydrogen to convert a component of the mass to a volatile form; and d) volatilizing the volatile form of the component from the mass to leave a void region associated with the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventor: Jerome Michael Eldridge
  • Methods of forming void regions, dielectric regions and capacitor constructions
    Patent number: 6794261
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of forming a void region associated with a substrate, comprising: a) providing a substrate; b) forming a sacrificial mass over the substrate; c) subjecting the mass to hydrogen to convert a component of the mass to a volatile form; and d) volatilizing the volatile form of the component from the mass to leave a void region associated with the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerome Michael Eldridge
  • Methods for forming void regions, dielectric regions and capacitor constructions
    Patent number: 6667219
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of forming a void region associated with a substrate, comprising: a) providing a substrate; b) forming a sacrificial mass over the substrate; c) subjecting the mass to hydrogen to convert a component of the mass to a volatile form; and d) volatilizing the volatile form of the component from the mass to leave a void region associated with the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerome Michael Eldridge
  • Perovskite-type material forming methods, capacitor dielectric forming methods, and capacitor constructions
    Publication number: 20030045022
    Abstract: A method includes forming a material over a substrate, oxidizing the material, and separately from the oxidizing, converting at least a portion of the oxidized material to a perovskite-type crystalline structure. The material can include an alloy material containing at least two metals. The method can further include retarding interdiffusion of the two metals. Such methods exhibit substantial advantage when at least two of the metals exhibit a substantial difference in chemical affinity for oxygen. A passivation layer against carbon and nitrogen reaction can be provided over the material. The passivation layer can be oxidized into a dielectric layer. The perovskite-type material can also be a dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Inventor: Jerome Michael Eldridge
  • Capacitor structures
    Publication number: 20020164852
    Abstract: The invention includes a method of forming a capacitor structure. A first electrical node is formed, and a layer of metallic aluminum is formed over the first electrical node. Subsequently, an entirety of the metallic aluminum within the layer is transformed into one or more of AlN, AlON, and AlO, with the transformed layer being a dielectric material over the first electrical node. A second electrical node is then formed over the dielectric material. The first electrical node, second electrical node and dielectric material together define at least a portion of the capacitor structure. The invention also pertains to a capacitor structure which includes a first electrical node, a second electrical node, and a dielectric material between the first and second electrical nodes. The dielectric material consists essentially of aluminum, oxygen and nitrogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventors: Leonard Forbes, Kie Y. Ahn, Jerome Michael Eldridge
  • Methods of forming capacitor structures, and capacitor structures
    Publication number: 20020090777
    Abstract: The invention includes a method of forming a capacitor structure. A first electrical node is formed, and a layer of metallic aluminum is formed over the first electrical node. Subsequently, an entirety of the metallic aluminum within the layer is transformed into one or more of AlN, AlON, and AlO, with the transformed layer being a dielectric material over the first electrical node. A second electrical node is then formed over the dielectric material. The first electrical node, second electrical node and dielectric material together define at least a portion of the capacitor structure. The invention also pertAlNs to a capacitor structure which includes a first electrical node, a second electrical node, and a dielectric material between the first and second electrical nodes. The dielectric material consists essentially of aluminum, oxygen and nitrogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: Leonard Forbes, Kie Y. Ahn, Jerome Michael Eldridge
  • Methods of forming void regions, dielectric regions and capacitor constructions
    Publication number: 20020068430
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of forming a void region associated with a substrate, comprising: a) providing a substrate; b) forming a sacrificial mass over the substrate; c) subjecting the mass to hydrogen to convert a component of the mass to a volatile form; and d) volatilizing the volatile form of the component from the mass to leave a void region associated with the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Publication date: June 6, 2002
    Inventor: Jerome Michael Eldridge
  • Methods of forming void regions dielectric regions and capacitor constructions
    Patent number: 6140200
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of forming a void region associated with a substrate, comprising: a) providing a substrate; b) forming a sacrificial mass over the substrate; c) subjecting the mass to hydrogen to convert a component of the mass to a volatile form; and d) volatilizing the volatile form of the component from the mass to leave a void region associated with the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerome Michael Eldridge