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).

  • Publication number: 20240005993
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yan WANG, Chunyuan HOU, Masao KURIYAMA, Zhichao DU, Lichuan ZHAO
  • Publication number: 20230139130
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventor: Lichuan Zhao
  • Patent number: 11309323
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: YANGTZE MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuhui Han, Wenxi Zhou, Zhiliang Xia, Lichuan Zhao
  • Publication number: 20210391348
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Yuhui Han, Wenxi Zhou, Zhiliang Xia, Lichuan Zhao
  • Publication number: 20210391353
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventor: Lichuan Zhao
  • Patent number: 10096691
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF MICROELECTRONICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Qingzhu Zhang, Lichuan Zhao, Xiongkun Yang, Huaxiang Yin, Jiang Yan, Junfeng Li, Tao Yang, Jinbiao Liu
  • Patent number: 9679962
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Miao Xu, Huilong Zhu, Lichuan Zhao
  • Publication number: 20160268391
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Qingzhu ZHANG, Lichuan ZHAO, Xiongkun YANG, Huaxiang YIN, Jiang YAN, Junfeng LI, Tao YANG, Jinbiao LIU
  • Publication number: 20160190236
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: INSTITUTE OF MICROELECTRONICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Miao XU, Huilong ZHU, Lichuan ZHAO
  • Publication number: 20130221535
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventors: Xiaolong Ma, Huaxiang Yin, Lichuan Zhao
  • Publication number: 20130015510
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Inventors: Jiang Yan, Lichuan Zhao