Patents by Inventor Robert H. Dennard

Robert H. Dennard 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: 20140159163
    Abstract: A method for forming a fin transistor in a bulk substrate includes forming a super steep retrograde well (SSRW) on a bulk substrate. The well includes a doped portion of a first conductivity type dopant formed below an undoped layer. A fin material is grown over the undoped layer. A fin structure is formed from the fin material, and the fin material is undoped or doped. Source and drain regions are provided adjacent to the fin structure to form a fin field effect transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: JIN CAI, KEVIN K. CHAN, ROBERT H. DENNARD, BRUCE B. DORIS, BARRY P. LINDER, RAMACHANDRAN MURALIDHAR, GHAVAM G. SHAHIDI
  • Publication number: 20140159162
    Abstract: A method for forming a fin transistor in a bulk substrate includes forming a super steep retrograde well (SSRW) on a bulk substrate. The well includes a doped portion of a first conductivity type dopant formed below an undoped layer. A fin material is grown over the undoped layer. A fin structure is formed from the fin material, and the fin material is undoped or doped. Source and drain regions are provided adjacent to the fin structure to form a fin field effect transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: JIN CAI, KEVIN K. CHAN, ROBERT H. DENNARD, BRUCE B. DORIS, BARRY P. LINDER, RAMACHANDRAN MURALIDHAR, GHAVAM G. SHAHIDI
  • Patent number: 8735990
    Abstract: The embodiments of the invention provide a structure and method for a rad-hard FinFET or mesa. More specifically, a semiconductor structure is provided having at least one fin or mesa comprising a channel region on an isolation region. A doped substrate region is also provided below the fin, wherein the doped substrate region has a first polarity opposite a second polarity of the channel region. The isolation region contacts the doped substrate region. The structure further includes a gate electrode covering the channel region and at least a portion of the isolation region. The gate electrode comprises a lower portion below the channel region of the fin, wherein the lower portion of the gate electrode comprises a height that is at least one-half of a thickness of the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Robert H. Dennard, Mark C. Hakey, Edward J. Nowak
  • Publication number: 20140091281
    Abstract: Semiconductor nanoparticles are deposited on a top surface of a first insulator layer of a substrate. A second insulator layer is deposited over the semiconductor nanoparticles and the first insulator layer. A semiconductor layer is then bonded to the second insulator layer to provide a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate, which includes a buried insulator layer including the first and second insulator layers and embedded semiconductor nanoparticles therein. Back gate electrodes are formed underneath the buried insulator layer, and shallow trench isolation structures are formed to isolate the back gate electrodes. Field effect transistors are formed in a memory device region and a logic device region employing same processing steps. The embedded nanoparticles can be employed as a charge storage element of non-volatile memory devices, in which charge carriers tunnel through the second insulator layer into or out of the semiconductor nanoparticles during writing and erasing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Robert H. Dennard, Hemanth Jagannathan, Ali Khakifirooz, Tak H. Ning, Ghavam G. Shahidi
  • Patent number: 8675403
    Abstract: A gated diode memory cell is provided, including one or more transistors, such as field effect transistors (“FETs”), and a gated diode in signal communication with the FETs such that the gate of the gated diode is in signal communication with the source of a first FET, wherein the gate of the gated diode forms one terminal of the storage cell and the source of the gated diode forms another terminal of the storage cell, the drain of the first FET being in signal communication with a bitline (“BL”) and the gate of the first FET being in signal communication with a write wordline (“WLw”), and the source of the gated diode being in signal communication with a read wordline (“WLr”).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wing K. Luk, Robert H. Dennard
  • Patent number: 8629705
    Abstract: A low voltage signaling system for integrated circuits includes a first voltage domain operating at a nominal integrated circuit (IC) power supply voltage (Vdd) swing level at a signal transmitting end of a first chip, a second voltage domain having one or more transmission interconnect lines operating at a reduced voltage swing level with respect to the first voltage domain, and a third voltage domain at a signal receiving end of a second chip, the third voltage domain operating at the Vdd swing level; wherein an input signal originating from the first voltage domain is down converted to operate at the reduced voltage swing level for transmission over the second voltage domain, and wherein the third voltage domain senses the input signal transmitted over the second voltage domain and generates an output signal operating back up at the Vdd swing level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leland Chang, Robert H. Dennard, Brian L. Ji, Wing K. Luk, Robert K. Montoye
  • Publication number: 20140008758
    Abstract: An example embodiment is a complementary transistor inverter circuit. The circuit includes a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, a lateral PNP bipolar transistor fabricated on the SOI substrate, and a lateral NPN bipolar transistor fabricated on the SOI substrate. The lateral PNP bipolar transistor includes a PNP base, a PNP emitter, and a PNP collector. The lateral NPN bipolar transistor includes a NPN base, a NPN emitter, and a NPN collector. The PNP base, the PNP emitter, the PNP collector, the NPN base, the NPN emitter, and the NPN collector abut the buried insulator of the SOI substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Cai, Robert H. Dennard, Wilfried E. Haensch, Tak H. Ning
  • Patent number: 8587063
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer structure for integrated circuit devices includes a bulk substrate; a lower insulating layer formed on the bulk substrate; an electrically conductive back gate layer formed on the lower insulating layer; an upper insulating layer formed on the back gate layer; and a hybrid semiconductor-on-insulator layer formed on the upper insulating layer, the hybrid semiconductor-on-insulator layer comprising a first portion having a first crystal orientation and a second portion having a second crystal orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Dennard, Qiqing C. Ouyang, Jeng-Bang Yau
  • Patent number: 8586426
    Abstract: Shallow trenches are formed around a vertical stack of a buried insulator portion and a top semiconductor portion. A dielectric material layer is deposited directly on sidewalls of the top semiconductor portion. Shallow trench isolation structures are formed by filling the shallow trenches with a dielectric material such as silicon oxide. After planarization, the top semiconductor portion is laterally contacted and surrounded by the dielectric material layer. The dielectric material layer prevents exposure of the handle substrate underneath the buried insulator portion during wet etches, thereby ensuring electrical isolation between the handle substrate and gate electrodes subsequently formed on the top semiconductor portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Dennard, Marwan H. Khater, Leathen Shi, Jeng-Bang Yau
  • Patent number: 8552500
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate having a first type of conductivity and a top surface, a layer of oxide disposed over the top surface and a semiconductor layer disposed over the layer of oxide. A plurality of transistor devices are disposed upon the semiconductor layer. Each transistor device includes a channel between a source and a drain, where some transistor devices have a first type of channel conductivity and the remaining transistor devices have a second type of channel conductivity. A well region is formed adjacent to the top surface. The well region has a second type of conductivity. First trench isolation regions are between adjacent transistor devices that extend through the semiconductor layer. Second trench isolation regions are between adjacent transistor devices of opposite channel conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Dennard, Terence B. Hook
  • Patent number: 8530287
    Abstract: A method to fabricate a structure includes providing a silicon-on-insulator wafer, implanting through a semiconductor layer and an insulating layer a functional region having a first type of conductivity to be adjacent to a top surface of the substrate; implanting within the functional region through the semiconductor layer and the insulating layer an electrically floating back gate region having a second type of conductivity; forming isolation regions in the semiconductor layer; forming first and second transistor devices to have the same type of conductivity over the semiconductor layer such that one of the transistor devices overlies the implanted back gate region and the other one of the transistor devices overlies only the underlying top surface of the functional region not overlapped by the implanted back gate region; and providing an electrical contact to the functional region for applying a bias voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Cai, Robert H Dennard, Ali Khakifirooz
  • Patent number: 8531001
    Abstract: An example embodiment is a complementary transistor inverter circuit. The circuit includes a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, a lateral PNP bipolar transistor fabricated on the SOI substrate, and a lateral NPN bipolar transistor fabricated on the SOI substrate. The lateral PNP bipolar transistor includes a PNP base, a PNP emitter, and a PNP collector. The lateral NPN bipolar transistor includes a NPN base, a NPN emitter, and a NPN collector. The PNP base, the PNP emitter, the PNP collector, the NPN base, the NPN emitter, and the NPN collector abut the buried insulator of the SOI substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Cai, Robert H. Dennard, Wilfried E. Haensch, Tak H. Ning
  • Publication number: 20130193445
    Abstract: Boron nitride is used as a buried dielectric of an SOI structure including an SOI layer and a handle substrate. The boron nitride is located between an SOI layer and a handle substrate. Boron nitride has a dielectric constant and a thermal expansion coefficient close to silicon dioxide. Yet, boron nitride has a wet as well as a dry etch resistance that is much better than silicon dioxide. In the SOI structure, there is a reduced material loss of boron nitride during multiple wet and dry etches so that the topography and/or bridging are not an obstacle for device integration. Boron nitride has a low dielectric constant so that devices built in SOI active regions do not suffer from a charging effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert H. Dennard, Alfred Grill, Effendi Leobandung, Deborah A. Neumayer, Dea-Gyu Park, Ghavam G. Shahidi, Leathen Shi
  • Publication number: 20130196483
    Abstract: Boron nitride is used as a buried dielectric of an SOI structure including an SOI layer and a handle substrate. The boron nitride is located between an SOI layer and a handle substrate. Boron nitride has a dielectric constant and a thermal expansion coefficient close to silicon dioxide. Yet, boron nitride has a wet as well as a dry etch resistance that is much better than silicon dioxide. In the SOI structure, there is a reduced material loss of boron nitride during multiple wet and dry etches so that the topography and/or bridging are not an obstacle for device integration. Boron nitride has a low dielectric constant so that devices built in SOI active regions do not suffer from a charging effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Dennard, Alfred Grill, Effendi Leobandung, Deborah A. Neumayer, Dea-Gyu Park, Ghavam G. Shahidi, Leathen Shi
  • Patent number: 8492838
    Abstract: Shallow trenches are formed around a vertical stack of a buried insulator portion and a top semiconductor portion. A dielectric material layer is deposited directly on sidewalls of the top semiconductor portion. Shallow trench isolation structures are formed by filling the shallow trenches with a dielectric material such as silicon oxide. After planarization, the top semiconductor portion is laterally contacted and surrounded by the dielectric material layer. The dielectric material layer prevents exposure of the handle substrate underneath the buried insulator portion during wet etches, thereby ensuring electrical isolation between the handle substrate and gate electrodes subsequently formed on the top semiconductor portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Dennard, Marwan H. Khater, Leathen Shi, Jeng-Bang Yau
  • Patent number: 8473762
    Abstract: A heterogeneous three-dimensional (3-D) stacked apparatus is provided that includes multiple layers arranged in a stacked configuration with a lower layer configured to receive a board-level voltage and one or more upper layers stacked above the lower layer. The heterogeneous 3-D stacked apparatus also includes multiple tiles per layer, where each tile is designed to receive a separately regulated voltage. The heterogeneous 3-D stacked apparatus additionally includes at least one layer in the one or more upper layers with voltage converters providing the separately regulated voltage converted from the board-level voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
  • Patent number: 8445946
    Abstract: A gated diode memory cell is provided, including one or more transistors, such as field effect transistors (“FETs”), and a gated diode in signal communication with the FETs such that the gate of the gated diode is in signal communication with the source of a first FET, wherein the gate of the gated diode forms one terminal of the storage cell and the source of the gated diode forms another terminal of the storage cell, the drain of the first FET being in signal communication with a bitline (“BL”) and the gate of the first FET being in signal communication with a write wordline (“WLw”), and the source of the gated diode being in signal communication with a read wordline (“WLr”).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wing K. Luk, Robert H. Dennard
  • Patent number: 8415743
    Abstract: A structure has a functional region having a first type of conductivity and a top surface. The functional region is connected to a bias contact. The structure further includes an insulating layer; a semiconductor layer and first and second transistor devices having the same type of conductivity disposed upon the semiconductor layer. The structure further includes a first back gate region adjacent to the top surface and underlying one of the transistor devices, the first back gate region having a second type of conductivity; and a second back gate region adjacent to the top surface and underlying the other one of the transistor devices, the second back gate region having the first type of conductivity. The first transistor device has a first characteristic threshold voltage and the second transistor device has a second characteristic threshold voltage that differs from the first characteristic threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Cai, Robert H Dennard, Ali Khakifirooz
  • Patent number: 8395438
    Abstract: An on-chip voltage conversion apparatus for integrated circuits includes a first capacitor; a first NFET device configured to selectively couple a first electrode of the first capacitor to a low side voltage rail of a first voltage domain; a first PFET device configured to selectively couple the first electrode of the first capacitor to a high side voltage rail of the first voltage domain; a second NFET device configured to selectively couple a second electrode of the first capacitor to a low side voltage rail of a second voltage domain, wherein the low side voltage rail of the second voltage domain corresponds to the high side voltage rail of the first voltage domain; and a second PFET device configured to selectively couple the second electrode of the first capacitor to a high side voltage rail of the second voltage domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Dennard, Brian L. Ji, Robert K. Montoye
  • Publication number: 20130057347
    Abstract: A circuit comprises a control line and a two terminal semiconductor device having a first terminal is coupled to a signal line, and a second terminal is coupled to the control line. The semiconductor device has a capacitance when a voltage on the first terminal is above a threshold and has a smaller capacitance when a voltage on the first terminal is below the threshold. A signal is placed on the signal line and a voltage on the control line is modified. When the signal falls below the threshold, the semiconductor device acts as a very small capacitor and the output will be a small value. When the signal is above the threshold, the semiconductor device acts as a large capacitor and the output will be influenced by the signal and the modified voltage on the control line and the signal is amplified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wing K. Luk, Robert H. Dennard