Patents by Inventor Luigi Colombo

Luigi Colombo 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: 20180308696
    Abstract: An electronic device has a graphene layer having one or more atomic layers of graphene, with low resistance contacts that includes a carbon-doped metal layer directly on the graphene layer. The electronic device is formed by forming a carbon-doped metal layer on a substrate layer of the electronic device. The carbon-doped metal layer is subsequently heated to a temperature above which carbon in the carbon-doped metal layer becomes mobile, and subsequently cooled. The carbon in the carbon-doped metal forms the graphene layer under the carbon-doped metal layer and over the substrate layer. The carbon-doped metal layer is removed from an area outside of a contact area, leaving the carbon-doped metal in the contact area to provide a contact layer to the graphene layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Luigi Colombo, Archana Venugopal
  • Patent number: 10072355
    Abstract: A method of forming graphene single crystal domains on a carbon substrate is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Luigi Colombo, Rodney S. Ruoff, Yufeng Hao
  • Patent number: 10069065
    Abstract: Graphene Hall sensors, magnetic sensor systems and methods for sensing a magnetic field using an adjustable gate voltage to adapt the Hall sensor magnetic field sensitivity according to a control input for environmental or process compensation and/or real-time adaptation for balancing power consumption and minimum detectable field performance. The graphene Hall sensor gate voltage can be modulated and the sensor output signal can be demodulated to combat flicker or other low frequency noise. Also, graphene Hall sensors can be provided with capacitive coupled contacts for reliable low impedance AC coupling to instrumentation amplifiers or other circuits using integral capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Arup Polley, Archana Venugopal, Robert Reid Doering, Luigi Colombo
  • Publication number: 20180240886
    Abstract: A microelectronic device includes an electrical conductor which includes a graphene heterolayer. The graphene heterolayer includes a plurality of alternating layers of graphene and barrier material. Each layer of the graphene has one to two atomic layers of graphene. Each layer of the barrier material has one to three layers of hexagonal boron nitride, cubic boron nitride, and/or aluminum nitride. The layers of graphene and the layers of barrier material may be continuous, or may be disposed in nanoparticles of a nanoparticle film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Archana Venugopal, Benjamin Stassen Cook, Luigi Colombo, Robert Reid Doering
  • Patent number: 10001529
    Abstract: A Graphene Hall sensor (GHS) is provided with a modulated gate bias signal in which the modulated gate bias signal alternates at a modulation frequency between a first voltage that produces a first conductivity state in the GHS and a second voltage that produces approximately a same second conductivity state in the GHS. A bias current is provided through a first axis of the GHS. A resultant output voltage signal is provided across a second axis of the Hall sensor that includes a modulated Hall voltage and an offset voltage, in which the Hall voltage is modulated at the modulation frequency. An amplitude of the Hall voltage that does not include the offset voltage is extracted from the resultant output voltage signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Arup Polley, Archana Venugopal, Luigi Colombo, Robert R. Doering
  • Publication number: 20180151464
    Abstract: An integrated circuit has a substrate which includes a semiconductor material, and an interconnect region disposed on the substrate. The integrated circuit includes a thermal routing trench in the substrate. The thermal routing trench includes a cohered nanoparticle film in which adjacent nanoparticles are cohered to each other. The thermal routing trench has a thermal conductivity higher than the semiconductor material contacting the thermal routing trench. The cohered nanoparticle film is formed by an additive process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Benjamin Stassen Cook, Archana Venugopal, Luigi Colombo, Robert Reid Doering
  • Publication number: 20180151470
    Abstract: An integrated circuit has a substrate and an interconnect region disposed on the substrate. The interconnect region has a plurality of interconnect levels. The integrated circuit includes a thermal routing structure in the interconnect region. The thermal routing structure extends over a portion, but not all, of the integrated circuit in the interconnect region. The thermal routing structure includes a cohered nanoparticle film in which adjacent nanoparticles cohere to each other. The thermal routing structure has a thermal conductivity higher than dielectric material touching the thermal routing structure. The cohered nanoparticle film is formed by a method which includes an additive process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Benjamin Stassen Cook, Archana Venugopal, Luigi Colombo, Robert Reid Doering
  • Publication number: 20180151471
    Abstract: An integrated circuit has a substrate and an interconnect region disposed on the substrate. The interconnect region includes a plurality of interconnect levels. Each interconnect level includes interconnects in dielectric material. The integrated circuit includes a thermal via in the interconnect region. The thermal via extends vertically in at least one of the interconnect levels in the interconnect region. The thermal via includes a cohered nanoparticle film in which adjacent nanoparticles are cohered to each other. The thermal via has a thermal conductivity higher than dielectric material touching the thermal via. The cohered nanoparticle film is formed by a method which includes an additive process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Benjamin Stassen Cook, Archana Venugopal, Luigi Colombo, Robert Reid Doering
  • Publication number: 20180151467
    Abstract: A packaged electronic device includes an integrated circuit and an electrically non-conductive encapsulation material in contact with the integrated circuit. A thermal conduit extends from an exterior of the package, through the encapsulation material, to the integrated circuit. The thermal conduit has a thermal conductivity higher than the encapsulation material contacting the thermal conduit. The thermal conduit includes a cohered nanoparticle film. The cohered nanoparticle film is formed by a method which includes an additive process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Archana Venugopal, Benjamin Stassen Cook, Luigi Colombo, Robert Reid Doering
  • Publication number: 20180151487
    Abstract: An integrated circuit has a substrate and an interconnect region disposed on the substrate. The interconnect region includes a plurality of interconnect levels. Each interconnect level includes interconnects in dielectric material. The integrated circuit includes a graphitic via in the interconnect region. The graphitic via vertically connects a first interconnect in a first interconnect level to a second interconnect in a second, higher, interconnect level. The graphitic via includes a cohered nanoparticle film of nanoparticles in which adjacent nanoparticles cohere to each other, and a layer of graphitic material disposed on the cohered nanoparticle film. The nanoparticles include one or more metals suitable for catalysis of the graphitic material. The cohered nanoparticle film is formed by a method which includes an additive process. The graphitic via is electrically coupled to an active component of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Archana Venugopal, Benjamin Stassen Cook, Luigi Colombo, Robert Reid Doering
  • Publication number: 20180151463
    Abstract: An integrated circuit has a thermal routing structure above a top interconnect level. The top interconnect level includes interconnects connected to lower interconnect levels, and does not include bond pads, probe pads, input/output pads, or a redistribution layer to bump bond pads. The thermal routing structure extends over a portion, but not all, of a plane of the integrated circuit containing the top interconnect level. The thermal routing structure includes a layer of nanoparticles in which adjacent nanoparticles are attached to each other. The layer of nanoparticles is free of an organic binder material. The thermal routing structure has a thermal conductivity higher than the metal in the top interconnect level. The layer of nanoparticles is formed by an additive process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Archana Venugopal, Benjamin Stassen Cook, Luigi Colombo, Robert Reid Doering
  • Publication number: 20180130882
    Abstract: A method for forming a graphene FET includes providing a graphene layer having a surface. A first metal layer having a work function <4.3 eV is deposited on the graphene surface. The first metal layer is oxidized to form a first metal oxide layer. The first metal oxide layer is etched to provide open surface contact regions including a first and a second region of the graphene layer for providing a graphene surface source and drain contact. A second metal layer is deposited including a second metal layer portion providing a source with a source contact over the graphene surface source contact and a second metal layer portion providing a drain with a drain contact over the graphene surface drain contact. A grown-in graphitic interface layer is formed at an interface between the source contact and graphene surface source contact and the drain contact and graphene surface drain contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: LUIGI COLOMBO, ARCHANA VENUGOPAL
  • Patent number: 9882008
    Abstract: A method for forming a graphene FET includes providing a graphene layer having a surface. A first metal layer having a work function <4.3 eV is deposited on the graphene surface. The first metal layer is oxidized to form a first metal oxide layer. The first metal oxide layer is etched to provide open surface contact regions including a first and a second region of the graphene layer for providing a graphene surface source and drain contact. A second metal layer is deposited including a second metal layer portion providing a source with a source contact over the graphene surface source contact and a second metal layer portion providing a drain with a drain contact over the graphene surface drain contact. A grown-in graphitic interface layer is formed at an interface between the source contact and graphene surface source contact and the drain contact and graphene surface drain contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Luigi Colombo, Archana Venugopal
  • Patent number: 9793214
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an interconnect which includes a metal layer, a layer of graphene on at least one of the top surface of the interconnect or the bottom surface of the interconnect, and a layer of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) on the layer of graphene, opposite from the metal layer. Dielectric material of the integrated circuit contacts the layer of hBN. The layer of graphene has one or more atomic layers of graphene. The layer of hBN is one to three atomic layers thick. The interconnect may have a lower graphene layer on the bottom surface of the metal layer with a lower hBN layer, and an upper graphene layer on the top surface of the metal layer, with an upper hBN layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Archana Venugopal, Benjamin Stassen Cook, Luigi Colombo, Robert Reid Doering
  • Patent number: 9698075
    Abstract: A microelectronic device includes semiconductor device with a component at a front surface of the semiconductor device and a backside heat spreader layer on a back surface of the semiconductor device. The backside heat spreader layer is 100 nanometers to 3 microns thick, has an in-plane thermal conductivity of at least 150 watts/meter-° K, and an electrical resistivity less than 100 micro-ohm-centimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Archana Venugopal, Marie Denison, Luigi Colombo, Hiep Nguyen, Darvin Edwards
  • Publication number: 20170133468
    Abstract: A method for forming a graphene FET includes providing a graphene layer having a surface. A first metal layer having a work function <4.3 eV is deposited on the graphene surface. The first metal layer is oxidized to form a first metal oxide layer. The first metal oxide layer is etched to provide open surface contact regions including a first and a second region of the graphene layer for providing a graphene surface source and drain contact. A second metal layer is deposited including a second metal layer portion providing a source with a source contact over the graphene surface source contact and a second metal layer portion providing a drain with a drain contact over the graphene surface drain contact. A grown-in graphitic interface layer is formed at an interface between the source contact and graphene surface source contact and the drain contact and graphene surface drain contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: LUIGI COLOMBO, ARCHANA VENUGOPAL
  • Publication number: 20170067970
    Abstract: A Graphene Hall sensor (GHS) may be provided with a modulated gate bias signal in which the modulated gate bias signal alternates at a modulation frequency between a first voltage that produces a first conductivity state in the GHS and a second voltage that produces approximately a same second conductivity state in the GHS. A bias current may be provided through a first axis of the GHS. A resultant output voltage signal may be provided across a second axis of the Hall sensor that includes a modulated Hall voltage and an offset voltage, in which the Hall voltage is modulated at the modulation frequency. An amplitude of the Hall voltage that does not include the offset voltage may be extracted from the resultant output voltage signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Arup Polley, Archana Venugopal, Luigi Colombo, Robert R. Doering
  • Patent number: 9517938
    Abstract: A process of sorting metallic single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) from semiconducting types by disposing the SWNTs in a dilute fluid, exposing the SWNTs to a dipole-inducing magnetic field which induces magnetic dipoles in the SWNTs so that a strength of a dipole depends on a conductivity of the SWNT containing the dipole, orienting the metallic SWNTs, and exposing the SWNTs to a magnetic field with a spatial gradient so that the oriented metallic SWNTs drift in the magnetic field gradient and thereby becomes spatially separated from the semiconducting SWNTs. An apparatus for the process of sorting SWNTs is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: James Cooper Wainerdi, Robert Reid Doering, Luigi Colombo
  • Patent number: 9496198
    Abstract: A microelectronic device includes semiconductor device with a component at a front surface of the semiconductor device and a backside heat spreader layer on a back surface of the semiconductor device. The backside heat spreader layer is 100 nanometers to 3 microns thick, has an in-plane thermal conductivity of at least 150 watts/meter-° K, and an electrical resistivity less than 100 micro-ohm-centimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Archana Venugopal, Marie Denison, Luigi Colombo, Hiep Nguyen, Darvin Edwards
  • Publication number: 20160322277
    Abstract: A microelectronic device includes semiconductor device with a component at a front surface of the semiconductor device and a backside heat spreader layer on a back surface of the semiconductor device. The backside heat spreader layer is 100 nanometers to 3 microns thick, has an in-plane thermal conductivity of at least 150 watts/meter-° K, and an electrical resistivity less than 100 micro-ohm-centimeters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Archana Venugopal, Marie Denison, Luigi Colombo, Hiep Nguyen, Darvin Edwards