Patents by Inventor Louis C. Hsu

Louis C. Hsu 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).

  • Patent number: 7692308
    Abstract: The circuit structure includes at least two generally parallel conductor structures, and a plurality of substantially horizontal layers of layer dielectric material interspersed with substantially horizontally extending relatively low dielectric constant (low-k) volumes. The substantially horizontal layers and the substantially horizontally extending volumes are generally interposed between the at least two generally parallel conductor structures. Also included are a plurality of substantially vertically extending relatively low-k volumes sealed within the substantially horizontal layers and the substantially horizontally extending volumes between the at least two generally parallel conductor structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Matthew E. Colburn, Louis C. Hsu, Wai-Kin Li
  • Patent number: 7675342
    Abstract: A programmable, electrically alterable (EA) resistor, an integrated circuit (IC) chip including the EA resistor and integrated analog circuits using on-chip EA resistors. Phase change storage media form resistors (EA resistors) on an IC that may be formed in an array of parallel EA resistors to set variable circuit bias conditions for circuits on the IC and in particular, bias on-chip analog circuits. The bias resistance is changed by changing EA resistor phase. Parallel connection of the parallel EA resistors may be dynamically alterable, switching one or more parallel resistors in and out digitally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Louis C. Hsu, Brian L. Ji, Chung H. Lam
  • Patent number: 7660350
    Abstract: A data receiver is provided which is operable to receive a signal controllably pre-distorted and transmitted by a transmitter, to generate information for adjusting the pre-distortion applied to the signal transmitted by the transmitter, and to transmit the information to the transmitter. The receiver is further operable to perform adaptive equalization to receive the signal transmitted by the transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Louis C. Hsu, Brian L. Ji, James S. Mason, Karl D. Selander, Michael A. Soma, Steven J. Zier
  • Patent number: 7651892
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrical programmable metal resistor and a method of fabricating the same in which electromigration stress is used to create voids in the structure that increase the electrical resistance of the resistor. Specifically, a semiconductor structure is provided that includes an interconnect structure comprising at least one dielectric layer, wherein said at least one dielectric layer comprises at least two conductive regions and an overlying interconnect region embedded therein, said at least two conductive regions are in contact with said overlying interconnect region by at least two contacts and at least said interconnect region is separated from said at least one dielectric layer by a diffusion barrier, wherein voids are present in at least the interconnect region which increase the electrical resistance of the interconnect region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chih-Chao Yang, Lawrence A. Clevenger, James J. Demarest, Louis C. Hsu, Carl Radens
  • Publication number: 20090309136
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, wherein the method comprises forming, on a substrate, a plurality of planarized fin bodies to be used for customized fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device formation; forming a nitride spacer around each of the plurality of fin bodies; forming an isolation region in between each of the fin bodies; and coating the plurality of fin bodies, the nitride spacers, and the isolation regions with a protective film. The fabricated semiconductor device is adapted to be used in customized applications as a customized semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Howard H. Chen, Louis C. Hsu, Jack A. Mandelman, Chun-Yung Sung
  • Publication number: 20090302387
    Abstract: An Integrated Circuit (IC) chip that may be a bulk CMOS IC chip with silicon on insulator (SOI) Field Effect Transistors (FETs) and method of making the chip. The IC chip includes areas with pockets of buried insulator strata and FETs formed on the strata are SOI FETs. The SOI FETs may include Partially Depleted SOI (PD-SOI) FETs and Fully Depleted SOI (FD-SOI) FETs and the chip may include bulk FETs as well. The FETs are formed by contouring the surface of a wafer, conformally implanting oxygen to a uniform depth, and planarizing to remove the Buried OXide (BOX) in bulk FET regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: RAJIV V. JOSHI, LOUIS C. HSU, OLEG GLUSCHENKOV
  • Publication number: 20090305493
    Abstract: An anti-fuse structure that included a buried electrically conductive, e.g., metallic layer as an anti-fuse material as well as a method of forming such an anti-fuse structure are provided. According to the present invention, the inventive anti-fuse structure comprises regions of leaky dielectric between interconnects. The resistance between these original interconnects starts decreasing when two adjacent interconnects are biased and causes a time-dependent dielectric breakdown, TDDB, phenomenon to occur. Decreasing of the resistance between adjacent interconnects can also be expedited via increasing the local temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chih-Chao Yang, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Timothy J. Dalton, Nicholas C. Fuller, Louis C. Hsu
  • Publication number: 20090305472
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor material having two crystal orientations. The semiconductor material forms an active area of the device. A device channel is formed on the two crystal orientations, which include a first region formed in a first crystal orientation surface of the semiconductor material, and a second region formed in a second crystal orientation surface of the semiconductor material wherein the first crystal orientation surface forms an angle with the second crystal orientation surface and the device channel covers at least an intersection of the angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Louis C. Hsu, Rajiv V. Joshi, Xu Ouyang
  • Publication number: 20090212362
    Abstract: A masking layer is applied over a top semiconductor layer and patterned to expose in an opening a shallow trench isolation structure and a portion of a top semiconductor region within which a first source/drain region and a body is to be formed. Ions are implanted into a portion of a buried insulator layer within the area of the opening to form damaged buried insulator region. The shallow trench isolation structure is removed and the damaged buried insulator region is etched selective to undamaged buried insulator portions to form a cavity. A dielectric layer is formed on the sidewalls and the exposed bottom surface of the top semiconductor region and a back gate filling the cavity is formed. A contact is formed to provide an electrical bias to the back gate so that the electrical potential of the body and the first source/drain region is electrically modulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Louis C. Hsu, Jack A. Mandelman, Carl Radens, William Tonti
  • Publication number: 20090200598
    Abstract: A flash memory structure having an enhanced capacitive coupling coefficient ratio (CCCR) may be fabricated in a self-aligned manner while using a semiconductor substrate that has an active region that is recessed within an aperture with respect to an isolation region that surrounds the active region. The flash memory structure includes a floating gate that does not rise above the isolation region, and that preferably consists of a single layer that has a U shape. The U shape facilitates the enhanced capacitive coupling coefficient ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Louis C. Hsu, Xu Ouyang, Ping-Chuan Wang, Zhijian J. Yang
  • Patent number: 7566599
    Abstract: A field effect transistor (FET), integrated circuit (IC) chip including the FETs and a method of forming the FETs. The FETs include a thin channel with raised source/drain (RSD) regions at each end on an insulator layer, e.g., on an ultra-thin silicon on insulator (SOI) chip. Isolation trenches at each end of the FETs, i.e., at the end of the RSD regions, isolate and define FET islands. Insulating sidewalls at each RSD region sandwich the FET gate between the RSD regions. The gate dielectric may be a high K dielectric. Salicide on the RSD regions and, optionally, on the gates reduce device resistances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rama Divakaruni, Louis C. Hsu, Rajiv V. Joshi, Carl J. Radens
  • Publication number: 20090184264
    Abstract: A laser annealing method for annealing a stacked semiconductor structure having at least two stacked layers is disclosed. A laser beam is focused on a lower layer of the stacked layers. The laser beam is then scanned to anneal features in the lower layer. The laser beam is then focused on an upper layer of the stacked layers, and the laser beam is scanned to anneal features in the upper layer. The laser has a wavelength of less than one micrometer. The beam size, depth of focus, energy dosage, and scan speed of the laser beam are programmable. Features in the lower layer are offset from features in the upper layer such that these features do not overlap along a plane parallel to a path of the laser beam. Each of the stacked layers includes active devices, such as transistors. Also, the first and second layers may be annealed simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Howard H. Chen, Louis C. Hsu, Lawrence S. Mok, J. Campbell Scott
  • Publication number: 20090175068
    Abstract: An SRAM device comprising a pair of MCSFETs connected as access transistors (pass gates). An SRAM device design structure embodied or stored in a machine readable medium includes two MCSFETs connected as access transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xu Ouyang, Louis C. Hsu
  • Publication number: 20090174075
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an improved semiconductor structure, such that within the same insulating layer, Cu interconnects embedded within the same insulating level layer have a different Cu grain size than other Cu interconnects embedded within the same insulating level layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chih-Chao Yang, Louis C. Hsu, Rajiv V. Joshi
  • Publication number: 20090172614
    Abstract: A system for protecting a weak device operating in micro-electronic circuit and a design structure including the system embodied in a machine readable medium are disclosed. The system includes a high voltage power supply from high voltage overstressing prevents the weak device from failing during power-up, power-down, and when a low voltage power supply in a multiple power supply system is absent. The system further includes a low voltage power supply detection circuit configured to detect circuit power-up, circuit power-down, and when the low voltage power supply is absent, and generate a control signal upon detection. The system further includes a controlled current mirror device configured to provide a trickle current to maintain a conduction channel in the weak device in response to the control signal received from the low voltage power supply detection circuit during circuit power-up, circuit power-down, and when the low voltage power supply is absent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hibourahima Camara, Louis C. Hsu, James D. Rockrohr, Karl D. Selander, Huihao Xu, Steven J. Zier
  • Patent number: 7528065
    Abstract: A transistor device and method of forming the same comprises a substrate; a first gate electrode over the substrate; a second gate electrode over the substrate; and a landing pad comprising a pair of flanged ends overlapping the second gate electrode, wherein the structure of the second gate electrode is discontinuous with the structure of the landing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Timothy J. Dalton, Louis C. Hsu, Carl Radens, Kwong-Hon Wong, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Publication number: 20090109722
    Abstract: The present invention provides a reprogrammable electrically blowable fuse and associated design structure. The electrically blowable fuse is programmed using an electro-migration effect and is reprogrammed using a reverse electro-migration effect. The state (i.e., “opened” or “closed”) of the electrically blowable fuse is determined by a sensing system which compares a resistance of the electrically blowable fuse to a reference resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Louis C. Hsu, Conal E. Murray, Chandrasekhar Narayan, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Patent number: 7521760
    Abstract: An Integrated Circuit (IC) chip that may be a bulk CMOS IC chip with silicon on insulator (SOI) Field Effect Transistors (FETs) and method of making the chip. The IC chip includes areas with pockets of buried insulator strata and FETs formed on the strata are SOI FETs. The SOI FETs may include Partially Depleted SOI (PD-SOI) FETs and Fully Depleted SOI (FD-SOI) FETs and the chip may include bulk FETs as well. The FETs are formed by contouring the surface of a wafer, conformally implanting oxygen to a uniform depth, and planarizing to remove the Buried OXide (BOX) in bulk FET regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rajiv V. Joshi, Louis C. Hsu, Oleg Gluschenkov
  • Publication number: 20090072410
    Abstract: The circuit structure includes at least two generally parallel conductor structures, and a plurality of substantially horizontal layers of layer dielectric material interspersed with substantially horizontally extending relatively low dielectric constant (low-k) volumes. The substantially horizontal layers and the substantially horizontally extending volumes are generally interposed between the at least two generally parallel conductor structures. Also included are a plurality of substantially vertically extending relatively low-k volumes sealed within the substantially horizontal layers and the substantially horizontally extending volumes between the at least two generally parallel conductor structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Matthew E. Colburn, Louis C. Hsu, Wai-Kin Li
  • Publication number: 20090072290
    Abstract: An isolated shallow trench isolation portion is formed in a top semiconductor portion of a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate along with a shallow trench isolation structure. A trench in the shape of a ring is formed around a doped top semiconductor portion and filled with a conductive material such as doped polysilicon. The isolated shallow trench isolation portion and the portion of a buried insulator layer bounded by a ring of the conductive material are etched to form a cavity. A capacitor dielectric is formed on exposed semiconductor surfaces within the cavity and above the doped top semiconductor portion. A conductive material portion formed in the trench and above the doped top semiconductor portion constitutes an inner electrode of a capacitor, while the ring of the conductive material, the doped top semiconductor portion, and a portion of a handle substrate abutting the capacitor dielectric constitute a second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Louis C. Hsu, Jack A. Mandelman, William Tonti