Patents by Inventor Liesbeth Witters

Liesbeth Witters 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: 20140045315
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a field-effect transistor is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes forming a channel layer comprising germanium over a substrate. The method additionally includes forming a gate structure on the channel layer, where the gate structure comprises a gate layer comprising silicon, and the gate layer has sidewalls above a surface of the channel layer. The method additionally includes forming sidewall spacers comprising silicon dioxide on the sidewalls by subjecting the gate structure to a solution adapted for forming a chemical silicon oxide on materials comprising silicon. The method further includes forming elevated source/drain structures on the channel layer adjacent to the gate structure by selectively epitaxially growing a source/drain material on the channel layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventor: Liesbeth Witters
  • Publication number: 20140008730
    Abstract: Disclosed are complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices and methods of manufacturing such CMOS devices. In some embodiments, an example CMOS device may include a substrate, and a buffer layer formed on the substrate, where the buffer layer comprises Si1-xGex, where x is less than 0.5. The example CMOS device may further include one or more pMOS channel layer elements, where each pMOS channel layer element comprises Si1-yGey, and where y is greater than x. The example CMOS device may still further include one or more nMOS channel layer elements, where each nMOS channel layer element comprises Si1-zGez, and where z is less than x. In some embodiments, the example CMOS device may be a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) CMOS device and may further include a first fin structure including the pMOS channel layer element(s) and a second fin structure including the nMOS channel layer element(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventors: Jerome Mitard, Liesbeth Witters
  • Publication number: 20130233238
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and mask structures for epitaxially growing substantially defect-free semiconductor material. In some embodiments, the method may comprise providing a substrate comprising a first crystalline material, where the first crystalline material has a first lattice constant; providing a mask structure on the substrate, where the mask structure comprises a first level comprising a first opening extending through the first level (where a bottom of the first opening comprises the substrate), and a second level on top of the first level, where the second level comprises a plurality of second trenches positioned at a non-zero angle with respect to the first opening. The method may further comprise epitaxially growing a second crystalline material on the bottom of the first opening, where the second crystalline material has a second lattice constant different than the first lattice constant and defects in the second crystalline material are trapped in the first opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventors: Benjamin Vincent, Aaron Thean, Liesbeth Witters
  • Publication number: 20110084313
    Abstract: One inventive aspect relates to a method for forming integrated circuits and circuits obtained therewith. The method of forming a circuit pattern in a device layer of a semiconductor substrate comprises decomposing the circuit pattern in two constituent orthogonal subpatterns. The method further comprises transferring the pattern of a first subpattern to a hard mask layer overlying the device layer. The method further comprises transferring the pattern of the other subpattern to a photosensitive layer overlying the patterned hard mask layer. The method further comprises patterning the device layer using the patterned hard mask layer and the patterned photosensitive layer as a mask. The method further comprises removing the patterned hard mask layer and the patterned photosensitive layer. Furthermore memory or logic circuits obtained using the above technique are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventors: Liesbeth Witters, Axel Nackaerts, Gustaaf Verhaegen
  • Publication number: 20070172770
    Abstract: One inventive aspect relates to a method for forming integrated circuits and circuits obtained therewith. The method of forming a circuit pattern in a device layer of a semiconductor substrate comprises decomposing the circuit pattern in two constituent orthogonal subpatterns. The method further comprises transferring the pattern of a first subpattern to a hard mask layer overlying the device layer. The method further comprises transferring the pattern of the other subpattern to a photosensitive layer overlying the patterned hard mask layer. The method further comprises patterning the device layer using the patterned hard mask layer and the patterned photosensitive layer as a mask. The method further comprises removing the patterned hard mask layer and the patterned photosensitive layer. Furthermore memory or logic circuits obtained using the above technique are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Liesbeth Witters, Axel Nackaerts, Gustaaf Verhaegen