Patents by Inventor Katherine H. Chiang

Katherine H. Chiang 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: 20230025820
    Abstract: A plurality of vertical stacks may be formed over a substrate. Each of the vertical stacks includes, from bottom to top, a bottom electrode, a dielectric pillar, and a top electrode. A continuous active layer may be formed over the plurality of vertical stacks. A gate dielectric layer may be formed over the continuous active layer. The continuous active layer and the gate dielectric layer may be patterned into a plurality of active layers and a plurality of gate dielectrics. Each of the plurality of active layers laterally surrounds a respective one of the vertical stacks that are arranged along a first horizontal direction, and each of the plurality of gate dielectrics laterally surrounds a respective one of the active layers. Gate electrodes may be formed over the plurality of gate dielectrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Ming-Yen CHUANG, Katherine H. CHIANG
  • Publication number: 20230028561
    Abstract: A semiconductor die includes a semiconductor substrate and a transistor array disposed over the semiconductor substrate. The transistor array includes unit cells and spacers. The unit cells are disposed along rows of the transistor array extending in a first direction and columns of the transistor array extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The spacers encircle the unit cells. The unit cells include source contacts and drain contacts separated by interlayer dielectric material portions. First sections of the spacers contacting the interlayer dielectric material portions are thicker than second sections of the spacers contacting the source contacts and the drain contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Gao-Ming Wu, Katherine H. CHIANG, Chien-Hao Huang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Publication number: 20230019688
    Abstract: A disclosed capacitor structure includes a support structure including a plurality of elongated structures each extending along a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a vertical direction. The plurality of elongated structures includes an alternating stack of first dielectric layers and second dielectric layers, a bottom electrode formed over the support structure, a third dielectric layer formed over the bottom electrode, and a top electrode formed over the third dielectric layer. Each of the first dielectric layers includes a first width along the transverse direction and each of the second dielectric layers includes a second width along the transverse direction. In various embodiments, the first width may be less than the second width such that each of the plurality of elongated structures include walls including a corrugated width profile as a function of distance along the vertical direction. The capacitor structure may be formed in a BEOL process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Yun-Feng Kao, Ming-Yen Chuang, Katherine H. Chiang, Chien-Hao HUANG
  • Publication number: 20230018869
    Abstract: A semiconductor die includes semiconductor substrate and interconnection structure. Interconnection structure includes first conductive lines, first conductive patterns, first pillar stacks, second pillar stacks, gate patterns. First conductive lines extend parallel to each other in first direction and are embedded in interlayer dielectric layer. First conductive patterns are disposed in row along first direction and are embedded in interlayer dielectric layer beside first conductive lines. First pillar stacks include first pairs of metallic blocks separated by first dielectric material blocks. Second pillar stacks include second pairs of metallic blocks separated by second dielectric material blocks. Each second pillar stack is electrically connected to respective first conductive pattern. Gate patterns extend substantially perpendicular to first conductive lines. Each gate pattern directly contacts one respective second pillar stack and extends over a group of first pillar stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming-Yen Chuang, Katherine H. CHIANG
  • Publication number: 20230008902
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes vertical stacks located over a substrate, wherein each of the vertical stacks includes from bottom to top, a bottom electrode, a dielectric pillar structure including a lateral opening therethrough, and a top electrode; layer stacks located over the vertical stacks, wherein each of the layer stacks includes an active layer and an outer gate dielectric and laterally surrounds a respective one of the vertical stacks; inner gate electrodes passing through a respective subset of the lateral openings in a respective row of vertical stacks that are arranged along a first horizontal direction; and outer gate electrodes laterally extending along the first horizontal direction and laterally surrounding a respective row of layer stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Ming-Yen CHUANG, Katherine H. CHIANG, Yun-Feng KAO
  • Publication number: 20230008075
    Abstract: A capacitor structure, a method for manufacturing a capacitor structure and a method for operating a capacitor structure are provided. The capacitor structure includes a first electrode and a second electrode; a dielectric layer between the first electrode and the second electrode; and an oxygen donor layer between the dielectric layer and the first electrode. An oxygen concentration of the oxygen donor layer increases along a thickness direction from a first surface proximal to the dielectric layer to a second surface proximal to the first electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: HSIN-YU LAI, KATHERINE H. CHIANG
  • Publication number: 20230011756
    Abstract: A disclosed high-density capacitor includes a top electrode having an electrically conducting material forming a three-dimensional structure. The three-dimensional structure includes a plurality of vertical portions extending in a vertical direction and horizontal portions, that are interleaved within the vertical portions and extend in a first horizontal direction. The high-density capacitor further includes a dielectric layer formed over the top electrode, and a bottom electrode including an electrically conducting material, such that the bottom electrode is separated from the top electrode by the dielectric layer. Further, the bottom electrode envelopes some of the plurality of vertical portions of the top electrode. The disclosed high-density capacitor further includes a plurality of support structures that are aligned with the first horizontal direction such that the horizontal portions of the top electrode are formed under respective support structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Cheng-Yi WU, Katherine H. CHIANG, Chung-Te LIN, Hsin-Yu LAI, Yun-Feng KAO
  • Publication number: 20230008554
    Abstract: A transistor device including source and drain electrodes, a fin structure extending between and contacting respective sidewalls of the source and drain electrodes, a semiconductor channel layer over the upper surface and side surfaces of the fin structure and including a first and second vertical portions over the side surfaces of the fin structure, and the first and second vertical portions of the semiconductor channel layer both contact the respective sidewalls of the source electrode and the drain electrode, a gate dielectric layer over the semiconductor channel layer, and a gate electrode over the gate dielectric layer. By forming the semiconductor channel layer over a fin structure extending between sidewalls of the source and drain electrodes, a contact area between the semiconductor channel and the source and drain electrodes may be increased, which may provide increased driving current for the transistor device without increasing the device size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Yun-Feng KAO, Katherine H. Chiang
  • Publication number: 20220383974
    Abstract: A method of testing a non-volatile memory (NVM) array includes obtaining a current distribution of a subset of NVM cells of the NVM array, the current distribution including first and second portions corresponding to respective logically high and low states of the subset of NVM cells, programming an entirety of the NVM cells of the NVM array to one of the logically high or low states, determining an initial bit error rate (BER) by performing first and second pass/fail (P/F) tests on each NVM cell of the NVM array, and using the current distribution to adjust the initial BER rate. Each of obtaining the current distribution, programming the entirety of the NVM cells, and performing the first and second P/F tests is performed while the NVM array is heated to a target temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Chien-Hao HUANG, Katherine H. CHIANG, Cheng-Yi WU, Chung-Te LIN
  • Publication number: 20220384447
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a transistor, a bit line and a bit-line via structure. The transistor is located in a transistor layer, and has a source contact and a drain contact. The bit line is electrically connected to one of the source contact and the drain contact. The bit-line via structure is located in the transistor layer, and electrically interconnects the bit line and a periphery device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ming-Yen CHUANG, Katherine H. CHIANG
  • Publication number: 20220384444
    Abstract: A memory device includes a plurality of memory cells. A first memory cell of the plurality of memory cells includes a first write transistor includes a first write gate, a first write source, and a first write drain. A first read transistor includes first read gate, a first read source, a first read drain, and a first body region separating the first read source from the first read drain. The first read source is coupled to the first write source. A first capacitor has a first upper capacitor plate coupled to the first write drain and a first lower capacitor plate coupled to the first body region of the first read transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 11514982
    Abstract: A ferroelectric computation unit includes a first ferroelectric switching device that includes a first ferroelectric material portion and generates a digital output signal, and a second ferroelectric switching device that includes a second ferroelectric material portion and generates an analog output signal. An output node of one of the first ferroelectric switching device and the second ferroelectric switching device is electrically connected to a gate electrode of another of the first ferroelectric switching device and the second ferroelectric switching device to provide hybrid response characteristics of stochastic digital switching and analog switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Publication number: 20220366996
    Abstract: A location of at least one fail bit to be repaired in a memory block of a memory is extracted from at least one memory test on the memory block. An available repair resource in the memory for repairing the memory block is obtained. It is checked, using machine learning, whether the at least one fail bit is unrepairable, according to the location of the at least one fail bit, and the available repair resource. When the checking indicates that the at least one fail bit is not unrepairable, it is determined whether a Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) containing a plurality of constraints is solvable. The constraints correspond to the location of the at least one fail bit in the memory block, and the available repair resource. In response to determining that the CSP is not solvable, the memory block is marked as unrepairable or the memory is rejected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Katherine H. CHIANG, Chien-Hao HUANG, Cheng-Yi WU, Chung-Te LIN
  • Publication number: 20220359529
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an insulating base including a trench, a transistor including a gate electrode and vertical channel in the trench, and a source electrode in the insulating base outside the trench, an isolation layer on the gate electrode in the trench, and a capacitor including a trench capacitor portion that is on the isolation layer in the trench, and a stacked capacitor portion that is coupled to the source electrode of the transistor outside the trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Yun-Feng KAO, Katherine H. CHIANG
  • Publication number: 20220359645
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a stacked capacitor structure includes: forming a first patterned structure over a substrate; forming a first bottom electrode over the first patterned structure; depositing a first dielectric film over the first bottom electrode; depositing a first top electrode layer over the first dielectric film; forming a first vertical interconnect structure; forming a second patterned structure over the first top electrode layer; forming a second bottom electrode over the second patterned structure and electrically connected to the first bottom electrode through the first vertical interconnect structure; depositing a second dielectric film over the second bottom electrode; depositing a second top electrode layer over the second dielectric film; and forming a second vertical interconnect structure extending from the first top electrode layer. The second top electrode layer is electrically connected to the first top electrode layer through the second vertical interconnect structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hsin-Yu LAI, Katherine H. CHIANG
  • Publication number: 20220359524
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a two-dimensional array of unit cell structures overlying a substrate. Each unit cell structure includes an active layer, a gate dielectric underlying the active layer, two gate electrodes underlying the gate dielectric, and two source electrodes and a drain electrode overlying the active layer. Word lines underlie the active layers. Each unit cell structure includes portions of a respective set of four word lines, which includes two word lines that are electrically connected to two electrodes in the unit cell structure and two additional word lines that are electrically isolated from the two electrodes in the unit cell structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Ming-Yen CHUANG, Chia LING, Katherine H. CHIANG, Chung-Te LIN
  • Patent number: 11495314
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided, which contains a memory bank including M primary word lines and R replacement word lines, a row/column decoder, and an array of redundancy fuse elements. A sorted primary failed bit count list is generated in a descending order for the bit fail counts per word line. A sorted replacement failed bit count list is generated in an ascending order of the M primary word lines in an ascending order. The primary word lines are replaced with the replacement word lines from top to bottom on the lists until a primary failed bit count equals a replacement failed bit count or until all of the replacement word lines are used up. Optionally, the sorted primary failed bit count list may be re-sorted in an ascending or descending order of the word line address prior to the replacement process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Chien-Hao Huang, Cheng-Yi Wu, Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Publication number: 20220352385
    Abstract: A transistor device includes a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region spaced apart from each other; a channel layer electrically connected to the first and second source/drain regions; a gate insulator layer; a gate electrode isolated from the channel layer by the gate insulator layer; and a UV-attenuating layer disposed on the channel layer to protect the channel layer from characteristic degradation caused by UV light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Katherine H. CHIANG, Neil Quinn MURRAY, Ming-Yen CHUANG, Chung-Te LIN
  • Publication number: 20220328346
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes a dielectric structure within a metal interconnect over a substrate. The dielectric structure includes a cavity. A first dielectric layer provides a roof for the cavity. A second dielectric layer provides a floor for the cavity. A material distinct from the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer provides a side edge for the cavity. In a central area of the cavity, the cavity has a constant height. The height may be selected to provide a low parasitic capacitance between features above and below the cavity. The roof of the cavity may be flat. A gate dielectric may be formed over the roof. The dielectric structure is particularly useful for reducing parasitic capacitances when employing back-end-of-line (BEOL) transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Li-Shyue Lai, Gao-Ming Wu, Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Publication number: 20220320347
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure may include a transistor structure, the transistor structure may include a gate region arranged over an upper surface of a substrate and extending substantially in a first direction that is perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate; a first source/drain region over the upper surface of the substrate; a second source/drain region over the upper surface of the substrate; and a channel region vertically extending in the first direction between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region, wherein the channel region comprises an oxide semiconductor material. Along the first direction, the gate region covers a sidewall of the channel region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Neil Quinn Murray, Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin