Patents by Inventor Julien Frougier

Julien Frougier 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: 20220028729
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a semiconductor structure and a method for forming a semiconductor structure having a self-aligned dielectric pillar for reducing trench silicide-to-gate parasitic capacitance. In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a nanosheet stack is formed over a substrate. A dielectric pillar is positioned adjacent to the nanosheet stack and on a shallow trench isolation region of the substrate. The nanosheet stack is recessed to expose a surface of the shallow trench isolation region and a source or drain (S/D) region is formed on the exposed surface of the shallow trench isolation region. A contact trench is formed that exposes a surface of the S/D region and a surface of the dielectric pillar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Kangguo Cheng, Julien Frougier
  • Publication number: 20220020634
    Abstract: Contact designs for semiconductor FET devices are provided. In one aspect, a contact structure includes: a metal line(s); a first ILD surrounding the metal line(s), wherein a top surface of the first ILD is recessed below a top surface of the metal line(s); a liner disposed on the first ILD and on portions of the metal line(s); a top contact(s) disposed over, and in direct contact with, the metal line(s), wherein an upper portion of the top contact(s) has a width W1 and a height H1, wherein a lower portion of the top contact(s) has a width W2 and a height H2, and wherein W1<W2 and H1>H2; and a second ILD disposed over the liner and surrounding the top contact(s). A semiconductor FET device and methods for fabrication thereof are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Julien Frougier, Ekmini Anuja De Silva, Eric Miller
  • Patent number: 11227801
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming top source/drain contact material on top source/drain material disposed on one or more fins of a base structure, and subtractively patterning the top source/drain contact material to form at least one top source/drain contact. The at least one top source/drain contact has a positive tapered geometry. The method further includes cutting exposed end portions of the top source/drain material to form at least one top source/drain region underneath the at least one top source/drain contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Su Chen Fan, Heng Wu, Julien Frougier
  • Publication number: 20220013986
    Abstract: A device and a method to produce an augmented-laser (ATLAS) comprising a bi-stable resistive system (BRS) integrated in series with a semiconductor laser. The laser exhibits reduction/inhibition of the Spontaneous Emission (SE) below lasing threshold by leveraging the abrupt resistance switch of the BRS. The laser system comprises a semiconductor laser and a BRS operating as a reversible switch. The BRS operates in a high resistive state in which a semiconductor laser is below a lasing threshold and emitting in a reduced spontaneous emission regime, and a low resistive state in which a semiconductor laser is above or equal to a lasing threshold and emitting in a stimulated emission regime. The BRS operating as a reversible switch is electrically connected in series across two independent chips or on a single wafer. The BRS is formed using insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) materials or is formed using threshold-switching selectors (TSS).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Julien FROUGIER, Kangguo CHENG, Ruilong Xie, Chanro PARK
  • Patent number: 11217533
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided, the semiconductor device comprising a substrate and a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin disposed over the substrate. The first and second semiconductor fins each having an upper portion and a width. Epitaxial structures are disposed over the upper portions of the first and second semiconductor fins. The upper portions of the first and second semiconductor fins and the epitaxial structures provide an active layer. A metal structure is positioned between the active layer and the substrate. The metal structure extends at least across the widths of the first and second semiconductor fins and a separation distance between the fins. A first isolation material separates the metal structure from the active layer. A second isolation material separates the metal structure from the substrate. A contact electrically connects the metal structure to the epitaxial structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Robert Soss, Steven John Bentley, Julien Frougier
  • Publication number: 20210399114
    Abstract: Fabricating a nanosheet transistor includes receiving a substrate structure having a set of nanosheet layers stacked upon a substrate, the set of nanosheet layers including at least one silicon (Si) layer, at least one silicon-germanium (SiGe) layer, a fin formed in the nanosheet layers, a gate region formed within the fin, and a trench region adjacent to the fin. A top sacrificial spacer is formed upon the fin and the trench region and etched to form a trench in the trench region. An indentation is formed within the SiGe layer in the trench region, and a sacrificial inner spacer is formed within the indentation. A source/drain (S/D) region is formed within the trench. The sacrificial top spacer and sacrificial inner spacer are etched to form an inner spacer cavity between the S/D region and the SiGe layer. An inner spacer is formed within the inner spacer cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Julien Frougier, Nicolas Loubet
  • Patent number: 11205699
    Abstract: One illustrative transistor device disclosed herein includes a gate structure positioned above a semiconductor substrate and first and second overall epitaxial cavities formed in the semiconductor substrate on opposite sides of the gate structure. In one embodiment, each of the first and second overall epitaxial cavities includes a substantially vertically oriented upper epitaxial cavity and a lower epitaxial cavity, wherein the substantially vertically oriented upper epitaxial cavity extends from an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate to the lower epitaxial cavity. A lateral width of the lower epitaxial cavity is greater than a lateral width of the upper epitaxial cavity. The device also includes epitaxial semiconductor material positioned in each of the first and second overall epitaxial cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries U.S. Inc.
    Inventors: Arkadiusz Malinowski, Baofu Zhu, Frank W. Mont, Julien Frougier, Ali Razavieh
  • Publication number: 20210391222
    Abstract: Semiconductor FET devices with bottom dielectric isolation and high-? first are provided. In one aspect, a semiconductor FET device includes: a substrate; at least one device stack including active layers oriented horizontally one on top of another on the substrate; source and drains alongside the active layers; and gates, offset from the source and drains by inner spacers, surrounding a portion of each of the active layers, wherein the gates include a gate dielectric that wraps around the active layers but is absent from sidewalls of the inner spacers. A method of forming a semiconductor FET device is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Julien Frougier, Jingyun Zhang, Alexander Reznicek, Takashi Ando
  • Patent number: 11201152
    Abstract: A semiconductor device at least one first transistor of a first type disposed above a substrate and comprising a channel wider in one cross-section than tall, wherein the first type is a PFET transistor or an NFET transistor; and at least one second transistor of a second type disposed above the at least one first transistor and comprising a channel taller in the one cross-section than wide, wherein the second type is a PFET transistor or an NFET transistor, and the second type is different from the first type. Methods and systems for forming the semiconductor structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Steven Soss, Steven Bentley, Daniel Chanemougame, Julien Frougier, Bipul Paul, Lars Liebmann
  • Patent number: 11195746
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a semiconductor structure and a method for forming a semiconductor structure having a self-aligned dielectric pillar for reducing trench silicide-to-gate parasitic capacitance. In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a nanosheet stack is formed over a substrate. A dielectric pillar is positioned adjacent to the nanosheet stack and on a shallow trench isolation region of the substrate. The nanosheet stack is recessed to expose a surface of the shallow trench isolation region and a source or drain (S/D) region is formed on the exposed surface of the shallow trench isolation region. A contact trench is formed that exposes a surface of the S/D region and a surface of the dielectric pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Kangguo Cheng, Julien Frougier
  • Publication number: 20210359197
    Abstract: A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) array includes a plurality of MRAM cells, each of the MRAM cells including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack disposed on a bottom metal via connecting the MTJ stack to a bottom conductive contact in a substrate, a plurality of top conductive contacts, each of the top conductive contacts disposed on a respective one of the MTJ stacks, and a plurality of unitary structures configured as a heat sink/magnetic shield disposed on a vertical portions of each of the MRAM cells, including vertical portions of the bottom metal vias, and under a portion of each of the MTJ stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: JULIEN FROUGIER, RUILONG XIE, HENG WU, CHEN ZHANG, BRUCE B. DORIS
  • Patent number: 11177632
    Abstract: A device and a method to produce an augmented-laser (ATLAS) comprising a bi-stable resistive system (BRS) integrated in series with a semiconductor laser. The laser exhibits reduction/inhibition of the Spontaneous Emission (SE) below lasing threshold by leveraging the abrupt resistance switch of the BRS. The laser system comprises a semiconductor laser and a BRS operating as a reversible switch. The BRS operates in a high resistive state in which a semiconductor laser is below a lasing threshold and emitting in a reduced spontaneous emission regime, and a low resistive state in which a semiconductor laser is above or equal to a lasing threshold and emitting in a stimulated emission regime. The BRS operating as a reversible switch is electrically connected in series across two independent chips or on a single wafer. The BRS is formed using insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) materials or is formed using threshold-switching selectors (TSS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Julien Frougier, Kangguo Cheng, Ruilong Xie, Chanro Park
  • Publication number: 20210351340
    Abstract: A via interconnect structure for an MRAM device is provided. The via interconnect structure includes an interlayer dielectric layer having a via formed therein, a magnetic metal layer formed in the via, the magnetic metal layer having a cavity formed therein, and a nonmagnetic metal layer formed in the cavity of the magnetic metal layer. The magnetic metal layer is configured such that magnetization vectors of the magnetic metal layer are least substantially in-plane relative to an MRAM stack structure of the MRAM device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Julien Frougier, Dimitri Houssameddine, Ruilong Xie, Kangguo Cheng
  • Publication number: 20210351064
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes selectively etching one or more of a plurality of conductive layers within a metallization level to obtain one or more recessed conductive layers each corresponding to a conductive line lacking a via disposed thereon and at least one conductive line having a via disposed thereon. The metallization level is disposed on a base structure including one or more underlying devices. The method further includes forming a pair of planarization stop layers on each of the one or more recessed conductive layers to a height of the via, and forming a plurality of interlevel dielectric (ILD) layers having a uniform height across the metallization level using the one or more pairs of planarization stop layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Chanro Park, Kangguo Cheng, Julien Frougier, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Patent number: 11171044
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes selectively etching one or more of a plurality of conductive layers within a metallization level to obtain one or more recessed conductive layers each corresponding to a conductive line lacking a via disposed thereon and at least one conductive line having a via disposed thereon. The metallization level is disposed on a base structure including one or more underlying devices. The method further includes forming a pair of planarization stop layers on each of the one or more recessed conductive layers to a height of the via, and forming a plurality of interlevel dielectric (ILD) layers having a uniform height across the metallization level using the one or more pairs of planarization stop layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Chanro Park, Kangguo Cheng, Julien Frougier, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Patent number: 11164867
    Abstract: Structures with altered crystallinity and methods associated with forming such structures. A semiconductor layer has a first region containing polycrystalline semiconductor material, defects, and atoms of an inert gas species. Multiple fins are arranged over the first region of the semiconductor layer. The structure may be formed by implanting the semiconductor layer with inert gas ions to modify a crystal structure of the semiconductor layer in the first region and a second region between the first region and a top surface of the semiconductor layer. An annealing process is used to convert the first region of the semiconductor layer to a polycrystalline state and the second region of the semiconductor layer to a monocrystalline state. The fins are patterned from the second region of the semiconductor layer and another semiconductor layer epitaxially grown over the second region of the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. INC.
    Inventors: Siva P. Adusumilli, Julien Frougier, Ruilong Xie, Anthony K. Stamper
  • Patent number: 11158574
    Abstract: One illustrative device disclosed herein includes a layer of insulating material with its upper surface positioned at a first level and a recessed conductive interconnect structure positioned at least partially within the layer of insulating material, wherein a recessed upper surface of the recessed conductive interconnect structure is positioned at a second level that is below the first level. In this example, the device also includes a conductive cap layer positioned on the recessed upper surface of the recessed conductive interconnect structure, wherein an upper surface of the conductive cap layer is substantially co-planar with the upper surface of the layer of insulating material and a memory cell positioned above the conductive cap layer, wherein the memory cell comprises a lower conductive material that is conductively coupled to the conductive cap layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries U.S. Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas LiCausi, Julien Frougier, Keith Donegan, Hyung Woo Kim
  • Publication number: 20210305420
    Abstract: A gate-all-around (GAA) semiconductor device structure and method for forming the same. The GAA structure includes a nanosheet stack disposed over a patterned portion of a substrate, and an encapsulation structure surrounding the patterned portion of the substrate underlying the nanosheet stack. The method for forming the GAA structure includes forming a liner over and in contact with a nanosheet fin, a sacrificial layer disposed below the nanosheet fin, and a patterned portion of a substrate underlying the nanosheet fin. At least one portion of the liner is etched down to the sacrificial layer. The sacrificial layer is removed thereby forming a cavity between the nanosheet fin and the patterned portion of the substrate. An insulting layer is formed within the cavity, where the patterned portion of the substrate within one or more gate regions is encapsulated by the insulting layer and the liner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Julien FROUGIER, Andrew Greene, Ruilong Xie, Kangguo CHENG
  • Publication number: 20210296396
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure that includes a metal layer in a first interlayer dielectric that is above a semiconductor device. The semiconductor structure includes an embedded memory device on the metal layer. The embedded memory device has a first metal contact surrounded by a second interlayer dielectric. Additionally, the semiconductor structure includes a thin film transistor on the first metal contact. The thin film transistor is surrounded by a third interlayer dielectric. The third interlayer dielectric is over a portion of the embedded memory device and a portion of the second interlayer dielectric. The semiconductor structure includes a first portion of a channel of the thin film transistor covered a gate structure, where the channel is a layer of indium tin oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Heng Wu, Julien Frougier, Bruce B. Doris, Chen Zhang, Ruilong Xie
  • Publication number: 20210296494
    Abstract: A vertical transport field-effect transistor array includes continuous spacers at cell edges that are formed following a replacement metal gate process. Techniques for fabricating the transistor array include forming trenches extending along the fin edges of the array to provide access to sacrificial gates, replacing the sacrificial gates with gate stacks, and forming the continuous spacers to encapsulate the gate stacks once formed. Removal of interlevel dielectric material from the array is not required for gate replacement. Bottom source/drain contacts may be formed in the trenches and in adjoining relation to the continuous spacers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Chen Zhang, Kangguo Cheng, Julien Frougier