Patents by Inventor Minoru Kubo

Minoru Kubo 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: 6815735
    Abstract: A semiconductor layer 30 of a graded SiGe-HDTMOS is constructed of an upper Si film 12, an Si buffer layer 13, an Si1−xGex film 14 and an Si cap layer 15. The region between a source region 20a and drain region 20b of the semiconductor layer 30 includes a high concentration n-type Si body region 22 and an n Si region 23, an Si cap region 25 and an SiGe channel region 24. A Ge composition ratio x of the Si1−xGex film 14 is made to increase from the Si buffer layer 13 to the Si cap layer 15. For the p-type HDTMOS, the electron current component of the substrate current decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Inoue, Takeshi Takagi, Yoshihiro Hara, Minoru Kubo
  • Publication number: 20040173751
    Abstract: An Al film is formed on a cap wafer and the Al film is patterned into a ring-shaped film. Dry etching is performed by using the ring-shaped film as a mask to form a drum portion enclosing a recess portion to provide a vacuum dome. After forming a depth of cut into the substrate portion of the cap wafer, the cap wafer is placed on a main body wafer having an infrared area sensor formed thereon. Then, the ring-shaped film of the cap wafer and the ring-shaped film of the main body wafer are joined to each other by pressure bonding to form a ring-shaped joining portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Komobuchi, Minoru Kubo, Masahiko Hashimoto, Michio Okajima, Shinichi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20040142579
    Abstract: A silicon oxide film 102, a Pt film 103x, a Ti film 104x and a PZT film 105x are deposited in this order over a Si substrate 101. The Si substrate 101 is placed in a chamber 106 so that the PZT film 105x is irradiated with an EHF wave 108. The irradiation with the EHF wave locally heats a dielectric film such as the PZT film. As a result, it is possible to improve, for example, the leakage property of the dielectric film without adversely affecting a device formed on the Si substrate 101.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventors: Kiyoyuki Morita, Shoji Miyake, Michihito Ueda, Takashi Ohtsuka, Takashi Nichikawa, Akira Inoue, Takeshi Takagi, Yoshihiro Hara, Minoru Kubo
  • Patent number: 6759697
    Abstract: The bipolar transistor of the present invention includes a Si collector buried layer, a first base region made of a SiGeC layer having a high C content, a second base region made of a SiGeC layer having a low C content or a SiGe layer, and a Si cap layer 14 including an emitter region. The C content is less than 0.8% in at least the emitter-side boundary portion of the second base region. This suppresses formation of recombination centers due to a high C content in a depletion layer at the emitter-base junction, and improves electric characteristics such as the gain thanks to reduction in recombination current, while low-voltage driving is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Toyoda, Koichiro Yuki, Takeshi Takagi, Teruhito Ohnishi, Minoru Kubo
  • Patent number: 6756278
    Abstract: A lateral heterojunction bipolar transistor comprises a first semiconductor layer in a mesa configuration disposed on an insulating layer, a second semiconductor layer formed by epitaxial growth on the side surfaces of the first semiconductor layer and having a band gap different from that of the first semiconductor layer, and a third semiconductor layer formed by epitaxial growth on the side surfaces of the second semiconductor layer and having a band gap different from that of the second semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer serves as a collector of a first conductivity type. At least a part of the second semiconductor layer serves as an internal base layer of a second conductivity type. At least a part of the third semiconductor layer serves as an emitter operating region of the first conductivity type. The diffusion of an impurity is suppressed in the internal base formed by epitaxial growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichiro Yuki, Minoru Kubo
  • Publication number: 20040092085
    Abstract: A multi-layer film 10 is formed by stacking a Si1-x1-y1Gex1Cy1 layer (0≦x1<1 and O<yl<1) having a small Ge mole fraction, e.g., a Si0.785Ge0.2C0.015 layer 13, and a Si1x-2-y2Gex2Cy2 layer (0<x2≦1 and 0≦y2<1) (where x1<x2 and y1>y2) having a high Ge mole fraction, e.g., a Si0.2Ge0.8 layer 12. In this manner, the range in which the multi-layer film serves as a SiGeC layer with C atoms incorporated into lattice sites extends to high degrees in which a Ge mole fraction is high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Kanzawa, Tohru Saitoh, Katsuya Nozawa, Minoru Kubo, Yoshihiro Hara, Takeshi Takagi, Takahiro Kawashima
  • Patent number: 6720587
    Abstract: An initial estimated value of a process condition is set, and a structure of an element of a semiconductor device is estimated by a process simulator, after which an estimated value of a physical amount measurement value is calculated. Then, an actual measurement value of a physical amount of the element of the semiconductor device, which is obtained by an optical evaluation method, and a theoretical calculated value thereof are compared with each other, so as to obtain a probable structure of the measured semiconductor device element by using, for example, a simulated annealing, or the like. A process condition in a process for other semiconductor device elements can be corrected by using the results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuya Nozawa, Tohru Saitoh, Minoru Kubo, Yoshihiko Kanzawa
  • Patent number: 6674100
    Abstract: Si and SiGeC layers are formed in an NMOS transistor on a Si substrate. A carrier accumulation layer is formed with the use of a discontinuous portion of a conduction band present at the heterointerface between the SiGeC and Si layers. Electrons travel in this carrier accumulation layer serving as a channel. In the SiGeC layer, the electron mobility is greater than in silicon, thus increasing the NMOS transistor in operational speed. In a PMOS transistor, a channel in which positive holes travel, is formed with the use of a discontinuous portion of a valence band at the interface between the SiGe and Si layers. In the SiGe layer, too, the positive hole mobility is greater than in the Si layer, thus increasing the PMOS transistor in operational speed. There can be provided a semiconductor device having field-effect transistors having channels lessened in crystal defect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Kubo, Katsuya Nozawa, Masakatsu Suzuki, Takeshi Uenoyama, Yasuhito Kumabuchi
  • Patent number: 6660393
    Abstract: A B-doped Si1−x−yGexCy layer 102 (where 0<x<1, 0.01≦y<1) is epitaxially grown on a Si substrate 101 using a UHV-CVD process. In the meantime, in-situ doping is performed using B2H6 as a source gas of boron (B) which is an impurity (dopant). Next, the Si1−x−yGexCy layer 102 is annealed to form a B-doped Si1−x−yGexCy crystalline layer 103. In this case, the annealing temperature is set preferably at between 700° C. and 1200° C., both inclusive, and more preferably at between 900° C. and 1000° C., both inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tohru Saitoh, Yoshihiko Kanzawa, Katsuya Nozawa, Minoru Kubo
  • Publication number: 20030213977
    Abstract: The bipolar transistor of the present invention includes a Si collector buried layer, a first base region made of a SiGeC layer having a high C content, a second base region made of a SiGeC layer having a low C content or a SiGe layer, and a Si cap layer 14 including an emitter region. The C content is less than 0.8% in at least the emitter-side boundary portion of the second base region. This suppresses formation of recombination centers due to a high C content in a depletion layer at the emitter-base junction, and improves electric characteristics such as the gain thanks to reduction in recombination current, while low-voltage driving is maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2003
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Toyoda, Koichiro Yuki, Takeshi Takagi, Teruhito Ohnishi, Minoru Kubo
  • Patent number: 6649496
    Abstract: After the surface of a Si substrate (1) has been pretreated, an SiGeC layer (2) is formed on the Si substrate (1) using an ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHV-CVD) apparatus. During this process step, the growth temperature of the SiGeC layer (2) is set at 490° C. or less and Si2H6, GeH4 and SiH3CH3 are used as Si, Ge and C sources, respectively, whereby the SiGeC layer (2) with good crystallinity can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Kanzawa, Katsuya Nozawa, Tohru Saitoh, Minoru Kubo
  • Patent number: 6645836
    Abstract: A Si substrate 1 with a SiGeC crystal layer 8 deposited thereon is annealed to form an annealed SiGeC crystal layer 10 on the Si substrate 1. The annealed SiGeC crystal layer includes a matrix SiGeC crystal layer 7, which is lattice-relieved and hardly has dislocations, and Sic microcrystals 6 dispersed in the matrix SiGeC crystal layer 7. A Si crystal layer is then deposited on the annealed SiGeC crystal layer 10, to form a strained Si crystal layer 4 hardly having dislocations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Kanzawa, Katsuya Nozawa, Tohru Saitoh, Minoru Kubo
  • Publication number: 20030201497
    Abstract: A silicon oxide film 102, a Pt film 103x, a Ti film 104x and a PZT film 105x are deposited in this order over a Si substrate 101. The Si substrate 101 is placed in a chamber 106 so that the PZT film 105x is irradiated with an EHF wave 108. The irradiation with the EHF wave locally heats a dielectric film such as the PZT film. As a result, it is possible to improve, for example, the leakage property of the dielectric film without adversely affecting a device formed on the Si substrate 101.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Inoue, Takeshi Takagi, Yoshihiro Hara, Minoru Kubo
  • Publication number: 20030203599
    Abstract: A Si substrate 1 with a SiGeC crystal layer 8 deposited thereon is annealed to form an annealed SiGeC crystal layer 10 on the Si substrate 1. The annealed SiGeC crystal layer includes a matrix SiGeC crystal layer 7, which is lattice-relieved and hardly has dislocations, and SiC microcrystals 6 dispersed in the matrix SiGeC crystal layer 7. A Si crystal layer is then deposited on the annealed SiGeC crystal layer 10, to form a strained Si crystal layer 4 hardly having dislocations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. , Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Kanzawa, Katsuya Nozawa, Tohru Saitoh, Minoru Kubo
  • Publication number: 20030183921
    Abstract: An Al film is formed on a cap wafer and the Al film is patterned into a ring-shaped film. Dry etching is performed by using the ring-shaped film as a mask to form a drum portion enclosing a recess portion to provide a vacuum dome. After forming a depth of cut into the substrate portion of the cap wafer, the cap wafer is placed on a main body wafer having an infrared area sensor formed thereon. Then, the ring-shaped film of the cap wafer and the ring-shaped film of the main body wafer are joined to each other by pressure bonding to form a ring-shaped joining portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Komobuchi, Minoru Kubo, Masahiko Hashimoto, Michio Okajima, Shinichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6620665
    Abstract: A process control is performed for fabricating both a wafer for a device including a Ge-containing semiconductor film and a wafer for a device, for example, including no Ge-containing semiconductor film on a common fabrication line. When the wafer including the Ge-containing semiconductor film is to be subjected to high-temperature treatment at 700° C. or more in the state of the Ge-containing semiconductor film being substantially exposed, the Ge-containing semiconductor film is covered with a cap layer made of Si or the like before the high-temperature treatment. The cap layer may be formed on the common fabrication line. However, if the formation of the cap layer itself involves high temperature of 700° C. or more, it is performed on a fabrication line separate from the common fabrication line. Alternatively, the cap layer may be formed on a fabrication line separate from the common fabrication line and the high-temperature treatment at 700° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gaku Sugahara, Tohru Saitoh, Minoru Kubo, Teruhito Ohnishi
  • Publication number: 20030165697
    Abstract: A B-doped Si1-x-yGexCy layer 102 (where 0<x<1, 0.01≦y<1) is epitaxially grown on a Si substrate 101 using a UHV-CVD process. In the meantime, in-situ doping is performed using B2H6 as a source gas of boron (B) which is an impurity (dopant). Next, the Si1-x-yGexCy layer 102 is annealed to form a B-doped Si1-x-yGexCy crystalline layer 103. In this case, the annealing temperature is set preferably at between 700° C. and 1200° C., both inclusive, and more preferably at between 900° C. and 1000° C., both inclusive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tohru Saitoh, Yoshihiko Kanzawa, Katsuya Nozawa, Minoru Kubo
  • Publication number: 20030162335
    Abstract: An S1-yGey layer (where 0<y<1), an Si layer containing C, a gate insulating film and a gate electrode are formed in this order on a semiconductor substrate. An Si/SiGe heterojunction is formed between the Si and Si1-yGey layers. Since C is contained in the Si layer, movement, diffusion and segregation of Ge atoms in the S1-yGey layer can be suppressed. As a result, the Si/Si1-yGey interface can have its structural disorder eased and can be kept definite and planar. Thus, the mobility of carriers moving along the interface in the channel can be increased. That is to say, the thermal budget of the semiconductor device during annealing can be improved. Also, by grading the concentration profile of C, the diffusion of C into the gate insulating film can be suppressed and decline in reliability can be prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichiro Yuki, Tohru Saitoh, Minoru Kubo, Kiyoshi Ohnaka, Akira Asai, Koji Katayama
  • Publication number: 20030146473
    Abstract: A semiconductor layer 30 of a graded SiGe-HDTMOS is constructed of an upper Si film 12, an Si buffer layer 13, an Si1−xGex film 14 and an Si cap layer 15. The region between a source region 20a and drain region 20b of the semiconductor layer 30 includes a high concentration n-type Si body region 22 and an n Si region 23, an Si cap region 25 and an SiGe channel region 24. A Ge composition ratio x of the Si1−xGex film 14 is made to increase from the Si buffer layer 13 to the Si cap layer 15. For the p-type HDTMOS, the electron current component of the substrate current decreases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Akira Inoue, Takeshi Takagi, Yoshihiro Hara, Minoru Kubo
  • Patent number: 6597016
    Abstract: An Si1−yGey layer (where 0<y<1), an Si layer containing C, a gate insulating film and a gate electrode are formed in this order on a semiconductor substrate. An Si/SiGe heterounction junction is formed between the Si and Si1−yGey layers. Since C is contained in the Si layer, movement, diffusion and segregation of Ge atoms in the Si1−yGey layer can be suppressed. As a result, the Si/Si1−yGey interface can have its structural disorder eased and can be kept definite and planar. Thus, the mobility of carriers moving along the interface in the channel can be increased. That is to say, the thermal budget of the semiconductor device during annealing can be improved. Also, by grading the concentration profile of C, the diffusion of C into the gate insulating film can be suppressed and decline in reliability can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichiro Yuki, Tohru Saitoh, Minoru Kubo, Kiyoshi Ohnaka, Akira Asai, Koji Katayama