Patents by Inventor Michael J. Dennis

Michael J. Dennis 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: 5520769
    Abstract: A method is provided for measuring at resolutions which are in some instances less than 20 nanometers the concentration densities within one or more diffusion regions within a semiconductor substrate. The diffusion regions are prepared for measurement by cleaving a cross-sectional surface and polishing that surface to a substantially flat, exposed profile. The profile is purposefully pre-etched to remove oxide abutting the implant area and thereafter dopant-selective etched in accordance with concentration densities within the substrate. Pre-etching of oxide and concentration density etching of doped silicon provides an exposed topological contour measurable by atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM can detect the entire cross-sectional surface including conductors and dielectrics. The topological height of impurity region profiles of a calibration wafer are correlated to impurity concentrations to form a calibration curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Barrett, Chih-Kang Shih, Donald A. Tiffin, Ying Li, Michael J. Dennis