Patents by Inventor Nobuyoshi Natsuaki

Nobuyoshi Natsuaki 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: 7799690
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Publication number: 20080045027
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Patent number: 7250376
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Patent number: 7122469
    Abstract: With a view to preventing the oxidation of a metal film at the time of light oxidation treatment after gate patterning and at the same time to making it possible to control the reproducibility of oxide film formation and homogeneity of oxide film thickness at gate side-wall end portions, in a gate processing step using a poly-metal, a gate electrode is formed by patterning a gate electrode material which has been deposited over a semiconductor wafer 1A having a gate oxide film formed thereon and has a poly-metal structure and then, the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A heated to a predetermined temperature or vicinity thereof is supplied with a hydrogen gas which contains water at a low concentration, the water having been formed from hydrogen and oxygen by a catalytic action, to selectively oxidize the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A, whereby the profile of the side-wall end portions of the gate electrode is improved
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Isamu Asano, Makoto Yoshida, Naoki Yamamoto, Masayoshi Saito, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Patent number: 7053007
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Patent number: 7008880
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Patent number: 6987069
    Abstract: With a view to preventing the oxidation of a metal film at the time of light oxidation treatment after gate patterning and at the same time to making it possible to control the reproducibility of oxide film formation and homogeneity of oxide film thickness at gate side-wall end portions, in a gate processing step using a poly-metal, a gate electrode is formed by patterning a gate electrode material which has been deposited over a semiconductor wafer 1A having a gate oxide film formed thereon and has a poly-metal structure and then, the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A heated to a predetermined temperature or vicinity thereof is supplied with a hydrogen gas which contains water at a low concentration, the water having been formed from hydrogen and oxygen by a catalytic action, to selectively oxidize the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A, whereby the profile of the side-wall end portions of the gate electrode is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Isamu Asano, Makoto Yoshida, Naoki Yamamoto, Masayoshi Saito, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Publication number: 20050266630
    Abstract: With a view to preventing the oxidation of a metal film at the time of light oxidation treatment after gate patterning and at the same time to making it possible to control the reproducibility of oxide film formation and homogeneity of oxide film thickness at gate side-wall end portions, in a gate processing step using a poly-metal, a gate electrode is formed by patterning a gate electrode material which has been deposited over a semiconductor wafer 1A having a gate oxide film formed thereon and has a poly-metal structure and then, the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A heated to a predetermined temperature or vicinity thereof is supplied with a hydrogen gas which contains water at a low concentration, the water having been formed from hydrogen and oxygen by a catalytic action, to selectively oxidize the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A, whereby the profile of the side-wall end portions of the gate electrode is improved
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Isamu Asano, Makoto Yoshida, Naoki Yamamoto, Masayoshi Saito, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Patent number: 6962880
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Patent number: 6962881
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Publication number: 20050227501
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Publication number: 20050208731
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Publication date: September 22, 2005
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Patent number: 6855642
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Publication number: 20040198067
    Abstract: With a view to preventing the oxidation of a metal film at the time of light oxidation treatment after gate patterning and at the same time to making it possible to control the reproducibility of oxide film formation and homogeneity of oxide film thickness at gate side-wall end portions, in a gate processing step using a poly-metal, a gate electrode is formed by patterning a gate electrode material which has been deposited over a semiconductor wafer 1A having a gate oxide film formed thereon and has a poly-metal structure and then, the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A heated to a predetermined temperature or vicinity thereof is supplied with a hydrogen gas which contains water at a low concentration, the water having been formed from hydrogen and oxygen by a catalytic action, to selectively oxidize the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A, whereby the profile of the side-wall end portions of the gate electrode is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Isamu Asano, Makoto Yoshida, Naoki Yamamoto, Masayoshi Saito, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Patent number: 6784116
    Abstract: With a view to preventing the oxidation of a metal film at the time of light oxidation treatment after gate patterning and at the same time to making it possible to control the reproducibility of oxide film formation and homogeneity of oxide film thickness at gate side-wall end portions, in a gate processing step using a poly-metal, a gate electrode is formed by patterning a gate electrode material which has been deposited over a semiconductor wafer 1A having a gate oxide film formed thereon and has a poly-metal structure and then, the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A heated to a predetermined temperature or vicinity thereof is supplied with a hydrogen gas which contains water at a low concentration, the water having been formed from hydrogen and oxygen by a catalytic action, to selectively oxidize the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A, whereby the profile of the side-wall end portions of the gate electrode is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Isamu Asano, Makoto Yoshida, Naoki Yamamoto, Masayoshi Saito, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Publication number: 20040161945
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Publication number: 20040157468
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Publication number: 20040157467
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki
  • Patent number: 6723665
    Abstract: In a gas-phase treating process of a semiconductor wafer using hydrogen, there is provided a technique for safely eliminating the hydrogen in an exhaust gas discharged from a gas-phase treating apparatus. The profile at the end portions of the side walls of gate electrodes of a poly-metal structure is improved by forming the gate electrodes over a semiconductor wafer IA having a gate oxide film and then by supplying the semiconductor wafer 1A with a hydrogen gas containing a low concentration of water, as generated from hydrogen and oxygen by catalytic action, to oxidize the principal face of the semiconductor wafer 1A selectively. After this, the hydrogen in the exhaust gas, as discharged from an oxidizing furnace, is completely converted into water by causing it to react with oxygen by a catalytic method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignees: Renesas Technology Corp., Hitachi Tokyo Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Toshiaki Nagahama, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki, Yasuhiko Nakatsuka
  • Publication number: 20030219995
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of an oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe, Satoshi Sakai, Nobuyoshi Natsuaki