Patents by Inventor John Matthew Safran
John Matthew Safran 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).
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Patent number: 10199315Abstract: An IC structure and related method are provided. The IC structure includes: a semiconductor substrate and a TSV disposed within the semiconductor substrate. A first interconnect layer includes a plurality of V0 vias disposed on the TSV, where the plurality of V0 vias are positioned laterally within an upper surface area of the TSV. At least one second interconnect layer disposed over the first interconnect layer includes a plurality of vias laterally positioned outside of a keep out zone positioned over the TSV. The method includes forming a first interconnect layer including a plurality of V0 vias disposed on a TSV, the V0 vias positioned laterally within an upper surface area of the TSV, and forming at least one second interconnect layer disposed over the first interconnect layer and including a plurality of vias laterally positioned outside of a keep out zone positioned over the TSV.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2016Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.Inventors: Mukta Ghate Farooq, John Matthew Safran
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Publication number: 20180061749Abstract: An IC structure and related method are provided. The IC structure includes: a semiconductor substrate and a TSV disposed within the semiconductor substrate. A first interconnect layer includes a plurality of V0 vias disposed on the TSV, where the plurality of V0 vias are positioned laterally within an upper surface area of the TSV. At least one second interconnect layer disposed over the first interconnect layer includes a plurality of vias laterally positioned outside of a keep out zone positioned over the TSV. The method includes forming a first interconnect layer including a plurality of V0 vias disposed on a TSV, the V0 vias positioned laterally within an upper surface area of the TSV, and forming at least one second interconnect layer disposed over the first interconnect layer and including a plurality of vias laterally positioned outside of a keep out zone positioned over the TSV.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2016Publication date: March 1, 2018Inventors: Mukta Ghate Farooq, John Matthew Safran
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Patent number: 9404953Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a variety of structures and method for detecting abnormalities in the back-end-of-line (BEOL) stack and BEOL structures located in close proximity to through-silicon vias (TSVs) in a 3D integrated chip. The detected abnormalities may include stress, strain, and damage that will affect metallization continuity, interfacial integrity within a metal level, proximity accuracy of the TSV placement, and interlevel dielectric integrity and metallization-to-TSV dielectric integrity. Additionally, these structures in conjunction with each other are capable of determining the range of influence of the TSV. That is, how close to the TSV that a BEOL line (or via) needs to be in order to be influenced by the TSV.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2013Date of Patent: August 2, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Fen Chen, Mukta G. Farooq, John A. Griesemer, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, John Matthew Safran, Timothy Dooling Sullivan
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Patent number: 9029234Abstract: One of the wafers in a semiconductor wafer to wafer stack can be rotated a predefined number of positions, relative to a previous wafer in the stack, and bonded in the position in which the maximum number of good die are aligned. An adjustment circuit on each die reroutes signals received from a pad that has been relocated due to rotation. A communication channel formed from a pair of pads that are interconnected by a Through Substrate Vias can be placed in each die and can convey selected information from one die to the next. A code representative of the position orientation of each die can be recorded in a Programmable Read Only Memory located on each die, or may be down loaded from a remote source. Any additional wafer may be stacked serially, and each one may be rotated relative to the wafer that precedes it in the stack.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2012Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: John Matthew Safran, Daniel Jacob Fainstein, Gary W. Maier, Yunsheng Song, Norman Whitelaw Robson
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Publication number: 20150115982Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a variety of structures and method for detecting abnormalities in the back-end-of-line (BEOL) stack and BEOL structures located in close proximity to through-silicon vias (TSVs) in a 3D integrated chip. The detected abnormalities may include stress, strain, and damage that will affect metallization continuity, interfacial integrity within a metal level, proximity accuracy of the TSV placement, and interlevel dielectric integrity and metallization-to-TSV dielectric integrity. Additionally, these structures in conjunction with each other are capable of determining the range of influence of the TSV. That is, how close to the TSV that a BEOL line (or via) needs to be in order to be influenced by the TSV.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2013Publication date: April 30, 2015Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Fen Chen, Mukta G. Farooq, John A. Griesemer, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, John Matthew Safran, Timothy Dooling Sullivan
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Publication number: 20130307159Abstract: One of the wafers in a semiconductor wafer to wafer stack can be rotated a predefined number of positions, relative to a previous wafer in the stack, and bonded in the position in which the maximum number of good die are aligned. An adjustment circuit on each die reroutes signals received from a pad that has been relocated due to rotation. A communication channel formed from a pair of pads that are interconnected by a Through Substrate Vias can be placed in each die and can convey selected information from one die to the next. A code representative of the position orientation of each die can be recorded in a Programmable Read Only Memory located on each die, or may be down loaded from a remote source. Any additional wafer may be stacked serially, and each one may be rotated relative to the wafer that precedes it in the stack.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2012Publication date: November 21, 2013Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: John Matthew Safran, Daniel Jacob Fainstein, Gary W. Maier, Yunsheng Song, Norman Whitelaw Robson
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Patent number: 8159040Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method for fabricating the semiconductor structure provide a field effect device located and formed upon an active region of a semiconductor substrate and at least one of a fuse structure, an anti-fuse structure and a resistor structure located and formed at least in part simultaneously upon an isolation region laterally separated from the active region within the semiconductor substrate. The field effect device includes a gate dielectric comprising a high dielectric constant dielectric material and a gate electrode comprising a metal material. The at least one of the fuse structure, anti-fuse structure and resistor structure includes a pad dielectric comprising the same material as the gate dielectric, and optionally, also a fuse, anti-fuse or resistor that may comprise the same metal material as the gate electrode.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2008Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Douglas D. Coolbaugh, Ebenezer E. Eshun, Ephrem G. Gebreselasie, Zhong-Xiang He, Herbert Lei Ho, Deok-kee Kim, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, Dan Moy, Robert Mark Rassel, John Matthew Safran, Kenneth Jay Stein, Norman Whitelaw Robson, Ping-Chuan Wang, Hongwen Yan
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Patent number: 7764531Abstract: A method and circuit for implementing precise eFuse resistance measurement, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. An eFuse sense amplifier coupled to an eFuse array and used for current measurements includes balanced odd and even bitlines, and a plurality of programmable reference resistors connected to the balanced odd and even bitlines. First a baseline current measurement is made through one of the programmable reference resistors, and used to identify a network baseline resistance. A current measurement is made for an eFuse path including a selected eFuse and used to identify the resistance of the selected eFuse.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2008Date of Patent: July 27, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Anthony Gus Aipperspach, Toshiaki Kirihata, Phil Christopher Felice Paone, Brian Joy Reed, John Matthew Safran, David Edward Schmitt, Gregory John Uhlmann
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Publication number: 20100067319Abstract: A method and circuit for implementing precise eFuse resistance measurement, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. An eFuse sense amplifier coupled to an eFuse array and used for current measurements includes balanced odd and even bitlines, and a plurality of programmable reference resistors connected to the balanced odd and even bitlines. First a baseline current measurement is made through one of the programmable reference resistors, and used to identify a network baseline resistance. A current measurement is made for an eFuse path including a selected eFuse and used to identify the resistance of the selected eFuse.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2008Publication date: March 18, 2010Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Anthony Gus Aipperspach, Toshiaki Kirihata, Phil Christopher Felice Paone, Brian Joy Reed, John Matthew Safran, David Edward Schmitt, Gregory John Uhlmann
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Publication number: 20090283840Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method for fabricating the semiconductor structure provide a field effect device located and formed upon an active region of a semiconductor substrate and at least one of a fuse structure, an anti-fuse structure and a resistor structure located and formed at least in part simultaneously upon an isolation region laterally separated from the active region within the semiconductor substrate. The field effect device includes a gate dielectric comprising a high dielectric constant dielectric material and a gate electrode comprising a metal material. The at least one of the fuse structure, anti-fuse structure and resistor structure includes a pad dielectric comprising the same material as the gate dielectric, and optionally, also a fuse, anti-fuse or resistor that may comprise the same metal material as the gate electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2008Publication date: November 19, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Douglas D. Coolbaugh, Ebenezer E. Eshun, Ephrem G. Gebreselasie, Zhong-Xiang He, Herbert Lei Ho, Deok-kee Kim, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, Dan Moy, Robert Mark Rassel, John Matthew Safran, Kenneth Jay Stein, Norman Whitelaw Robson, Ping-Chuan Wang, Hongwen Yan
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Patent number: 7432755Abstract: An electrical fuse programming circuit and a method for programming an electrical fuse within the electrical fuse programming circuit use a programming circuit bus to which are electrically connected in parallel the electrical fuse and a bypass resistor. A current within the programming circuit bus is made to flow through the bypass resistor for a period of time sufficient to stabilize the current, and then sequentially and instantaneously switched to program the electrical fuse.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2007Date of Patent: October 7, 2008Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.Inventors: Byeongju Park, Deok-kee Kim, John Matthew Safran, Yongsang Cho
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Patent number: 5909658Abstract: A pattern data processor system is disclosed that comprises a pattern storage device for storing pattern data, a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) pattern memory buffer for receiving and temporarily holding the pattern data from the pattern storage device, a shape processor for processing and decoding the pattern data, a shape divider, and a shape generator for generating a shape from the decoded pattern data. The shape processor comprises a programmable gate array device (FPGA) that dynamically decodes different pattern data formats with different decoding schemes, allowing for high speed processing. A Previous Output Shape (POS) Register is also disclosed, which uses information from previous shapes to decompress new shapes, thus allowing for variable length macro and pattern data, and conserving disk space.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 1996Date of Patent: June 1, 1999Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Eileen Veronica Clarke, John William Kay, Christine Ann Kostek, Jon Erik Lieberman, Daniel Lee Pierce, Robert Joseph Quickle, John Matthew Safran