Patents by Inventor Pieter Weckx
Pieter Weckx 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).
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Patent number: 11704462Abstract: A system and method for simulating an electronic circuit is disclosed. The method includes creating a finite set of circuit or device parameter points selected from within an n-dimensional parameter space. The method includes determining, for each circuit or device parameter point of the set, a corresponding response value of the performance metric and a corresponding probability of occurrence. The method includes determining, for a predetermined value of the performance metric, the total probability of occurrence.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2019Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignees: IMEC vzw, Katholieke Universiteit LeuvenInventors: Pieter Weckx, Dimitrios Rodopoulos, Benjamin Kaczer, Francky Catthoor
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Publication number: 20230178554Abstract: Example embodiments relate to complementary field-effect transistor (CFET) devices. An example CFET device includes a bottom FET device. The bottom FET device includes a bottom channel nanostructure having a first side surface oriented in a first direction. The bottom FET device also includes a second side surface oriented in a second direction opposite the first direction. Further, the bottom FET device includes a bottom gate electrode configured to define a tri-gate or a gate-all-around with respect to the bottom channel nanostructure. The bottom gate electrode includes a side gate portion arranged along the first side surface of the bottom channel nanostructure. The CFET device also includes a top FET device stacked on the bottom FET device. The top FET device includes channel layers, a gate electrode, and gate prongs. Additionally, the CFET device includes a top gate contact via. Further, the CFET device includes a bottom gate contact via.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2022Publication date: June 8, 2023Inventors: Bilal Chehab, Pieter Schuddinck, Julien Ryckaert, Pieter Weckx
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Patent number: 11515399Abstract: In one aspect, a method of forming a semiconductor device can comprise forming a first transistor structure and a second transistor structure separated by a first trench which comprises a first dielectric wall protruding above a top surface of the transistor structures. The first and the second transistor structures each can comprise a plurality of stacked nanosheets forming a channel structure, and a source portion and a drain portion horizontally separated by the channel structure. The method further can comprise depositing a contact material over the transistor structures and the first dielectric wall, thereby filling the first trench and contacting a first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure and a first source/drain portion of the second transistor structure.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2020Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: IMEC vzwInventors: Eugenio Dentoni Litta, Juergen Boemmels, Julien Ryckaert, Naoto Horiguchi, Pieter Weckx
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Patent number: 11462443Abstract: In one aspect, a method of forming a semiconductor device, can comprise forming a first transistor structure and a second transistor structure separated by a trench. The first and the second transistor structures can comprise a plurality of stacked nanosheets forming a channel structure, and a source portion and a drain portion horizontally separated by the channel structure. A first and a second spacer can beformed in the trench at sidewalls of the transistor structures, both protruding above a top surface of the transistor structures. The method can comprise applying a first mask layer including an opening exposing the first spacer at a first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure and covering the second spacer, partially etching the exposed first spacer through the opening, exposing at least parts of a sidewall of the first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure, and removing the mask layer.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2020Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: IMEC vzwInventors: Eugenio Dentoni Litta, Juergen Boemmels, Julien Ryckaert, Naoto Horiguchi, Pieter Weckx
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Publication number: 20220108948Abstract: A method includes: producing on a substrate a stack of: a first layer including a first dielectric material, a second layer including dielectric material on the first layer, and an etch stop layer between the first layer and the second layer, etching a trench through the second layer, the etch stop layer, and the first layer, producing a lower conductive line in the trench, producing a third layer including a second dielectric material in the trench and on the tower conductive line, removing a first portion of the second layer, such that a second portion of the second layer remains in contact with the etch stop layer, etching a via opening through the third layer in the trench, using the second portion of the second layer as a mask, and depositing a conductive upper line and an interconnect via on the lower conductive line within the via opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2021Publication date: April 7, 2022Inventor: Pieter Weckx
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Publication number: 20220100939Abstract: A system and method of simulating device aging based on a digital waveform representative of a workload of an electronic device are disclosed. In one aspect, the method comprises grouping contiguous sets of cycles into segments, each set corresponding to a segment. Each segment has values for a combination of segment parameters that are unique from each of the other segments and a start point that is separated from a start point of an adjacent segment by a pre-defined distance criterion. Grouping the sets into the segments comprises, for each segment: sampling one or more sequential cycles of the workload, generating the segment based on the sampled contiguous cycles having a period exceeding a threshold period, and determining the values for the combination of segment parameters. The method further comprises applying an aging model to the segments to simulate the aging. The segments are a representation of the digital waveform.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2020Publication date: March 31, 2022Inventors: Subrat Mishra, Pieter Weckx, Francky Catthoor, Alessio Spessot
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Patent number: 11244949Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to semiconductor devices and more particularly to a semiconductor device comprising stacked complementary transistor pairs.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2019Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: IMEC vzwInventors: Pieter Weckx, Juergen Boemmels, Julien Ryckaert
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Patent number: 11164942Abstract: According to an aspect of the present inventive concept there is provided a method for forming a first and a second nanosheet transistor structure, each comprising a source, a drain, and a channel extending between the source and the drain in a first direction, and a gate extending across the channel, wherein the first and second nanosheet transistor structures are spaced apart in a second direction, transverse to the first direction, by an insulating wall extending in the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2020Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: IMEC VZWInventors: Pieter Weckx, Julien Ryckaert, Eugenio Dentoni Litta
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Publication number: 20210193821Abstract: In one aspect, a method of forming a semiconductor device can comprise forming a first transistor structure and a second transistor structure separated by a first trench which comprises a first dielectric wall protruding above a top surface of the transistor structures. The first and the second transistor structures each can comprise a plurality of stacked nanosheets forming a channel structure, and a source portion and a drain portion horizontally separated by the channel structure. The method further can comprise depositing a contact material over the transistor structures and the first dielectric wall, thereby filling the first trench and contacting a first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure and a first source/drain portion of the second transistor structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2020Publication date: June 24, 2021Inventors: Eugenio Dentoni Litta, Juergen Boemmels, Julien Ryckaert, Naoto Horiguchi, Pieter Weckx
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Publication number: 20210183711Abstract: In one aspect, a method of forming a semiconductor device, can comprise forming a first transistor structure and a second transistor structure separated by a trench. The first and the second transistor structures can comprise a plurality of stacked nanosheets forming a channel structure, and a source portion and a drain portion horizontally separated by the channel structure. A first and a second spacer can beformed in the trench at sidewalls of the transistor structures, both protruding above a top surface of the transistor structures. The method can comprise applying a first mask layer including an opening exposing the first spacer at a first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure and covering the second spacer, partially etching the exposed first spacer through the opening, exposing at least parts of a sidewall of the first source/drain portion of the first transistor structure, and removing the mask layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2020Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Eugenio Dentoni Litta, Juergen Boemmels, Julien Ryckaert, Naoto Horiguchi, Pieter Weckx
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Publication number: 20200089829Abstract: A system and method for simulating an electronic circuit is disclosed. The method includes creating a finite set of circuit or device parameter points selected from within an n-dimensional parameter space. The method includes determining, for each circuit or device parameter point of the set, a corresponding response value of the performance metric and a corresponding probability of occurrence. The method includes determining, for a predetermined value of the performance metric, the total probability of occurrence.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2019Publication date: March 19, 2020Inventors: Pieter Weckx, Dmitrios Rodopoulos, Benjamin Kaczer, Francky Catthoor
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Publication number: 20190386011Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to semiconductor devices and more particularly to a semiconductor device comprising stacked complementary transistor pairs.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Inventors: Pieter Weckx, Juergen Boemmels, Julien Ryckaert
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Publication number: 20190205095Abstract: A semiconductor cell comprising a memory element for storing a first binary operand is disclosed. In one aspect, the memory element provides complementary memory outputs, and a multiplication block that is locally and uniquely associated with the memory element. The multiplication block may be configured to receive complementary input signals representing binary input data and the complementary memory outputs of the associated memory element representing the first binary operand, implement a multiplication operation on these signals, and provide an output of the multiplication operation to an output port. An array of semiconductor cells and a neural network circuit comprising such array are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2018Publication date: July 4, 2019Inventors: Mohit Gupta, Wim Dehaene, Sushil Sakhare, Pieter Weckx
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Patent number: 10332588Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosed technology, a SRAM device includes a first stack of transistors and a second stack of transistors arranged on a substrate. Each of the first and second stacks includes a pull-up transistor, a pull-down transistor and a pass transistor, where each of the transistors includes a horizontally extending channel. In each of the first and second stacks, the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor have a common gate electrode extending vertically therebetween, and the pass transistor has a gate electrode separated from the common gate electrode. A source/drain of each of the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor and a source/drain of the pass transistor included in one of the first stack and the second stack are electrically interconnected with the common gate electrode of the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor included in the other of the first stack and the second stack.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignees: IMEC vzw, Vrije Universiteit BrusselInventors: Trong Huynh Bao, Julien Ryckaert, Praveen Raghavan, Pieter Weckx
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Publication number: 20180174642Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to semiconductor memory devices, and more particularly to a static random access memory (SRAM) device. One aspect of the disclosed technology is a bit cell for a static random access memory (SRAM) comprising: a first and a second vertical stack of transistors arranged on a substrate. Each stack includes a pull-up transistor, a pull-down transistor and a pass transistor, each transistor including a horizontally extending channel, the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor having a common gate electrode extending vertically between the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor and the pass transistor having a gate electrode being separate from the common gate electrode. A source/drain of the pull-up transistor and of the pull-down transistor of the first stack, a source/drain of the pass transistor of the first stack and the common gate electrode of the pull-up and pull-down transistors of the second stack are electrically interconnected.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2017Publication date: June 21, 2018Inventors: Trong Huynh Bao, Julien Ryckaert, Praveen Raghavan, Pieter Weckx
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Publication number: 20160283629Abstract: A system and method for simulating an electronic circuit is disclosed. The method includes creating a finite set of circuit or device parameter points selected from within an n-dimensional parameter space. The method includes determining, for each circuit or device parameter point of the set, a corresponding response value of the performance metric and a corresponding probability of occurrence. The method includes determining, for a predetermined value of the performance metric, the total probability of occurrence.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2016Publication date: September 29, 2016Inventors: Pieter Weckx, Dmitrios Rodopoulos, Benjamin Kaczer, Francky Catthoor