Patents by Inventor Lichuan Zhao
Lichuan Zhao 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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Publication number: 20250061952Abstract: A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit includes a high-voltage functional circuit and an auxiliary clamping circuit. The high-voltage functional circuit includes a first metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor. The auxiliary clamping circuit is arranged between an input voltage and a first terminal of the first MOS transistor. The auxiliary clamping circuit includes a first N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor and a second NMOS transistor coupled in parallel. T first terminal of the first NMOS transistor and a first terminal of the second NMOS transistor are coupled to the input voltage. A second terminal of the first NMOS transistor and a second terminal of the second NMOS transistor are coupled to the first terminal of the first MOS transistor. A gate terminal of the second NMOS transistor is coupled to an output terminal of the high-voltage functional circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2024Publication date: February 20, 2025Inventor: Lichuan ZHAO
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Patent number: 12165715Abstract: A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit of a memory device includes a high-voltage functional circuit and an auxiliary clamping circuit. The high-voltage functional circuit includes at least one MOS transistor. One of a source terminal and a drain terminal of an MOS transistor is coupled to an input high-voltage. The high-voltage functional circuit has an output voltage that, when an enable signal is valid, gradually increases and reaches a maximum value. The auxiliary clamping circuit is arranged between the input high-voltage and the one of the source terminal and the drain terminal of the MOS transistor, and is configured to clamp the voltage input to the one of the source terminal and the drain terminal of the MOS transistor during a rising phase of the output voltage, so that the clamping voltage is smaller than the input high-voltage.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2022Date of Patent: December 10, 2024Assignee: YANGTZE MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.Inventor: Lichuan Zhao
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Patent number: 12058857Abstract: Embodiments of 3D memory devices and methods for forming and operating the same are disclosed. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a memory stack, a plurality of memory strings, and a plurality of bit line contacts each in contact with a respective one of the plurality of memory strings. The memory stack includes interleaved conductive layers and dielectric layers. Each memory string extends vertically through the memory stack. The conductive layers include a plurality of drain select gate (DSG) lines configured to control drains of the plurality of memory strings. The plurality of memory strings are divided into a plurality of regions that are a minimum repeating unit of the memory stack in a plan view. Each of the plurality of memory strings abuts at least one of the DSG lines.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2020Date of Patent: August 6, 2024Assignee: YANGTZE MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.Inventor: Lichuan Zhao
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Publication number: 20240005993Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a bit line unit, a word line unit, a bit line drive unit, and a word line drive unit. The bit line unit is configured to divide the word line unit into a first word line unit and a second word line unit. The distance between the second word line unit and the word line drive unit is greater than that the distance between the first word line unit and the word line drive unit. The word line drive unit is configured to provide the driving voltage for programming to the word line unit. The bit line drive unit is configured to apply the first bias voltage to the bit line unit that performs the dividing to obtain the first word line unit in the charging phase of programming, and to apply the second bias voltage to the bit line unit that performs the dividing to obtain the second word line unit in the discharging phase of programming.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2022Publication date: January 4, 2024Applicant: Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yan WANG, Chunyuan HOU, Masao KURIYAMA, Zhichao DU, Lichuan ZHAO
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Publication number: 20230139130Abstract: A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit of a memory device includes a high-voltage functional circuit and an auxiliary clamping circuit. The high-voltage functional circuit includes at least one MOS transistor. One of a source terminal and a drain terminal of an MOS transistor is coupled to an input high-voltage. The high-voltage functional circuit has an output voltage that, when an enable signal is valid, gradually increases and reaches a maximum value. The auxiliary clamping circuit is arranged between the input high-voltage and the one of the source terminal and the drain terminal of the MOS transistor, and is configured to clamp the voltage input to the one of the source terminal and the drain terminal of the MOS transistor during a rising phase of the output voltage, so that the clamping voltage is smaller than the input high-voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2022Publication date: May 4, 2023Inventor: Lichuan Zhao
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Patent number: 11309323Abstract: Embodiments of 3D memory devices and methods for forming the same are disclosed. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a memory stack and a plurality of memory strings. The memory stack includes interleaved conductive layers and dielectric layers. Each memory string extends vertically through the memory stack. The plurality of memory strings are divided into a plurality of regions of the memory stack in a plan view. The conductive layers include one or more drain select gate (DSG) lines configured to control drains of the plurality of memory strings. The numbers of the DSG lines are different among the plurality of regions. Each of the plurality of memory strings has a nominally same height.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2020Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: YANGTZE MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.Inventors: Yuhui Han, Wenxi Zhou, Zhiliang Xia, Lichuan Zhao
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Publication number: 20210391353Abstract: Embodiments of 3D memory devices and methods for forming and operating the same are disclosed. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a memory stack, a plurality of memory strings, and a plurality of bit line contacts each in contact with a respective one of the plurality of memory strings. The memory stack includes interleaved conductive layers and dielectric layers. Each memory string extends vertically through the memory stack. The conductive layers include a plurality of drain select gate (DSG) lines configured to control drains of the plurality of memory strings. The plurality of memory strings are divided into a plurality of regions that are a minimum repeating unit of the memory stack in a plan view. Each of the plurality of memory strings abuts at least one of the DSG lines.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2020Publication date: December 16, 2021Inventor: Lichuan Zhao
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Publication number: 20210391348Abstract: Embodiments of 3D memory devices and methods for forming the same are disclosed. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a memory stack and a plurality of memory strings. The memory stack includes interleaved conductive layers and dielectric layers. Each memory string extends vertically through the memory stack. The plurality of memory strings are divided into a plurality of regions of the memory stack in a plan view. The conductive layers include one or more drain select gate (DSG) lines configured to control drains of the plurality of memory strings. The numbers of the DSG lines are different among the plurality of regions. Each of the plurality of memory strings has a nominally same height.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2020Publication date: December 16, 2021Inventors: Yuhui Han, Wenxi Zhou, Zhiliang Xia, Lichuan Zhao
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Patent number: 10096691Abstract: A method for forming a metal silicide. The method comprises: providing a substrate having a fin, a gate formed on the fin, and spacers formed on opposite sides of the gate; depositing a Ti metal layer; siliconizing the Ti metal layer; and removing unreacted Ti metal layer. As the Ti atoms have relatively stable characteristics, diffusion happens mostly to Si atoms while the Ti atoms rarely diffuse during the thermal annealing. As a result, current leakage can be prevented in a depletion region and thus leakage current of the substrate can be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2015Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: INSTITUTE OF MICROELECTRONICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCESInventors: Qingzhu Zhang, Lichuan Zhao, Xiongkun Yang, Huaxiang Yin, Jiang Yan, Junfeng Li, Tao Yang, Jinbiao Liu
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Patent number: 9679962Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a Fin Field Effect Transistor (FinFET). The method may include: forming a fin on a semiconductor substrate; forming a dummy device including a dummy gate on the fin; forming an interlayer dielectric layer to cover regions except for the dummy gate; removing the dummy gate to form an opening; implanting ions to form a Punch-Through-Stop Layer (PTSL) in a portion of the fin directly under the opening, while forming reflection doped layers in portions of the fin on inner sides of source/drain regions; and forming a replacement gate in the opening.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2015Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of SciencesInventors: Miao Xu, Huilong Zhu, Lichuan Zhao
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Publication number: 20160268391Abstract: A method for forming a metal silicide. The method comprises: providing a substrate having a fin, a gate formed on the fin, and spacers formed on opposite sides of the gate; depositing a Ti metal layer; siliconizing the Ti metal layer; and removing unreacted Ti metal layer. As the Ti atoms have relatively stable characteristics, diffusion happens mostly to Si atoms while the Ti atoms rarely diffuse during the thermal annealing. As a result, current leakage can be prevented in a depletion region and thus leakage current of the substrate can be reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2015Publication date: September 15, 2016Inventors: Qingzhu ZHANG, Lichuan ZHAO, Xiongkun YANG, Huaxiang YIN, Jiang YAN, Junfeng LI, Tao YANG, Jinbiao LIU
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Publication number: 20160190236Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a Fin Field Effect Transistor (FinFET). The method may include: forming a fin on a semiconductor substrate; forming a dummy device including a dummy gate on the fin; forming an interlayer dielectric layer to cover regions except for the dummy gate; removing the dummy gate to form an opening; implanting ions to form a Punch-Though-Stop Layer (PTSL) in a portion of the fin directly under the opening, while forming reflection doped layers in portions of the fin on inner sides of source/drain regions; and forming a replacement gate in the opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicant: INSTITUTE OF MICROELECTRONICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCESInventors: Miao XU, Huilong ZHU, Lichuan ZHAO
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Publication number: 20130221535Abstract: A diffusion barrier layer, a metal interconnect arrangement and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the metal interconnect arrangement may comprise a conductive plug/interconnect wire for electrical connection, and a diffusion barrier layer provided on at least a portion of a surface of the conductive plug/interconnect wire. The diffusion barrier layer may comprise insulating amorphous carbon.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 29, 2012Publication date: August 29, 2013Inventors: Xiaolong Ma, Huaxiang Yin, Lichuan Zhao
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Publication number: 20130015510Abstract: The invention provides a transistor, a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The method for manufacturing a transistor comprises: defining an active area on a semiconductor substrate, forming a dummy gate stack on the active area, primary spacers surrounding said dummy gate stack, and an insulating layer surrounding said primary spacers, and forming source/drain regions embedded in said active area; removing the dummy gate in said dummy gate stack to form a first recessed portion surrounded by the primary spacers; filling Cu simultaneously in said first recessed portion and in the source/drain contact holes penetrating said insulating layer to form a gate and source/drain contacts. By filling the gate and the source/drain contact holes with the metal Cu simultaneously in the Gate Last structure, the gate serial resistance and the source/drain contact holes resistance in the Gate Last process are decreased.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2011Publication date: January 17, 2013Inventors: Jiang Yan, Lichuan Zhao