Patents by Inventor Sean MA

Sean MA 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: 20260206263
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes: forming a patterned structure on a substrate, the patterned structure including: two first channel features spaced apart from each other by a source/drain recess; two second channel features disposed respectively beneath the two first channel features; two first sacrificial features disposed between the two first channel features and the two second channel features; two second sacrificial features disposed beneath the two second channel features; two first inner spacers that separate the two first sacrificial features from the source/drain recess, respectively; and two second inner spacers that separate the two second sacrificial features from the source/drain recess, respectively; forming a bridging epitaxial feature which interconnects two predetermined inner spacers that are the two first inner spacers or the two second inner spacers; and forming a vertically grown epitaxial feature from the bridging epitaxial feature in a vertical direction no
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2025
    Publication date: July 16, 2026
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Zhi-Ren XIAO, Nuo XU, Chia-Wen LIU, Chun-Fu CHENG, Chih-Ching WANG, Sean MA, Chung-Wei WU, Zhiqiang WU
  • Publication number: 20260190404
    Abstract: Gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having vertically discrete source or drain structures, and methods of fabricating gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having vertically discrete source or drain structures, are described. For example, an integrated circuit structure includes a vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A gate stack is around the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A first epitaxial source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the first epitaxial source or drain structure including vertically discrete portions aligned with the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A second epitaxial source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the second epitaxial source or drain structure including vertically discrete portions aligned with the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2026
    Publication date: July 2, 2026
    Inventors: Glenn GLASS, Anand MURTHY, Biswajeet GUHA, Dax M. CRUM, Sean MA, Tahir GHANI, Susmita GHOSE, Stephen CEA, Rishabh MEHANDRU
  • Publication number: 20260156882
    Abstract: This disclosure provides enhancements in semiconductor fabrication aimed at boosting device performance and simplifying manufacturing. By employing a dopant layer, such as borosilicate or phosphosilicate glass, low doping junction diffusion can be managed effectively. An advancement can include using silicon germanium (SiGe) as an inner spacer for continuous sidewall epitaxial (EPI) growth seeding, optimizing the epitaxial source/drain layer quality by maintaining a thin, highly-doped layer to control electrical properties. Additional improvement can include filling stress material between the epitaxial source/drain sidewalls to preserve channel stress and enhance electrical performance. Furthermore, gate and inner spacers can be removed, creating air-filled structures that improve cell capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2024
    Publication date: June 4, 2026
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Meng-Yu LIN, Chun-Fu CHENG, Sean MA
  • Patent number: 12615813
    Abstract: Gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having vertically discrete source or drain structures, and methods of fabricating gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having vertically discrete source or drain structures, are described. For example, an integrated circuit structure includes a vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A gate stack is around the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A first epitaxial source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the first epitaxial source or drain structure including vertically discrete portions aligned with the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A second epitaxial source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the second epitaxial source or drain structure including vertically discrete portions aligned with the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2026
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Glenn Glass, Anand Murthy, Biswajeet Guha, Dax M. Crum, Sean Ma, Tahir Ghani, Susmita Ghose, Stephen Cea, Rishabh Mehandru
  • Publication number: 20260096122
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes: forming a patterned structure which includes a stacking portion that includes a first layer and a second layer disposed on the first layer, the first layer including an inner part and two outer parts respectively located at two opposite sides of the inner part, the two outer parts being made of a first semiconductor material, the second layer being made of a second semiconductor material that is different from the first semiconductor material, the inner part being made of a material that is different from the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material, and a dummy structure disposed on the stacking portion; and epitaxially forming two source/drain portions respectively at two opposite sides of the stacking portion so that each of the two source/drain portions is connected to the second layer and a respective one of the two outer parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2024
    Publication date: April 2, 2026
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Sean MA, Chung-I YANG, Chih-Ching WANG, Zhiqiang WU, Kuo-Cheng CHIANG
  • Publication number: 20260096160
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, an active channel sheet and a doping layer. The active channel sheet stacked on the substrate, wherein the active channel sheet has an end portion having a lateral surface, an upper surface and a lower surface. The doping layer is disposed within the end portion of the active channel sheet. The doping layer has a contour having an upper point adjacent to the upper surface, a lower point adjacent to the lower surface and a middle point between the upper point and the lower point, there is an upper distance between the upper point and the lateral surface, there is a lower distance between the lower point and the lateral surface, there is a middle distance between the middle point and the lateral surface, and the upper distance and the lower distance are less than the middle distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2024
    Publication date: April 2, 2026
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Sean MA, Zhiqiang WU, Shu-Hua WU, Shih-Syuan HUANG, Wen-Hsing HSIEH
  • Publication number: 20250380457
    Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit includes forming a sacrificial semiconductor nanostructure and a dielectric interposer adjacent to each other between two stacked channels of a gate all around transistor. The method includes forming an inner spacer in contact with the dielectric interposer. The channels are released by removing the sacrificial semiconductor nanostructure and the dielectric interposer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2024
    Publication date: December 11, 2025
    Inventors: Chih-Ching WANG, Zhiqiang WU, Sean MA, Kuo-Cheng CHIANG
  • Patent number: 12142689
    Abstract: A transistor is described. The transistor includes a substrate, a first semiconductor structure above the substrate, a second semiconductor structure above the substrate, a source contact that includes a first metal structure that contacts a plurality of surfaces of the first semiconductor structure and a drain contact that includes a second metal structure that contacts a plurality of surfaces of the second semiconductor structure. The transistor also includes a gate below a back side of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sean Ma, Abhishek Sharma, Gilbert Dewey, Jack T. Kavalieros, Van H. Le
  • Patent number: 12100623
    Abstract: Stacked finFET structures including a fin having at least a first layer of semiconductor material stacked over or under a second layer of semiconductor material. The first and second layers may include a Group IV semiconductor material layer and a Group III-V semiconductor material layer, for example. A stacked finFET may include an N-type finFET stacked over or under a P-type finFET, the two finFETs may have channel portions within the different semiconductor material layers. Channel portions of the first and second layers of semiconductor material may be coupled to separate gate electrodes that are vertically aligned. Channel portions of the first and second layers of semiconductor material may be vertically separated by subfin portions of the first and second layers. Different layers of dielectric material adjacent to the subfin portions may improve electrical isolation between the channel portions, for example as a source of fixed charge or impurity dopants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Lilak, Sean Ma, Justin R. Weber, Rishabh Mehandru, Stephen M. Cea, Patrick Morrow, Patrick H. Keys
  • Patent number: 12009433
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include thin film transistors and methods of forming such thin film transistors. In an embodiment, the thin film transistor may comprise a substrate, a gate electrode over the substrate, and a gate dielectric stack over the gate electrode. In an embodiment, the gate dielectric stack may comprise a plurality of layers. In an embodiment, the plurality of layers may comprise an amorphous layer. In an embodiment, the thin film transistor may also comprise a semiconductor layer over the gate dielectric. In an embodiment, the semiconductor layer is a crystalline semiconductor layer. In an embodiment, the thin film transistor may also comprise a source electrode and a drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Van H. Le, Inanc Meric, Gilbert Dewey, Sean Ma, Abhishek A. Sharma, Miriam Reshotko, Shriram Shivaraman, Kent Millard, Matthew V. Metz, Wilhelm Melitz, Benjamin Chu-Kung, Jack Kavalieros
  • Patent number: 11881517
    Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques for a thin-film transistor (TFT) above a substrate. The transistor includes a gate electrode above the substrate, and a channel layer above the substrate, separated from the gate electrode by a gate dielectric layer. The transistor further includes a contact electrode above the channel layer and in contact with a contact area of the channel layer. The contact area has a thickness determined based on a Schottky barrier height of a Schottky barrier formed at an interface between the contact electrode and the contact area, a doping concentration of the contact area, and a contact resistance at the interface between the contact electrode and the contact area. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventors: Abhishek Sharma, Cory Weber, Van H. Le, Sean Ma
  • Patent number: 11862729
    Abstract: Vertical thin film transistors (TFTs) including a gate electrode pillar clad with a gate dielectric. The gate dielectric is further clad with a semiconductor layer. Source or drain metallization is embedded in trenches formed in an isolation dielectric adjacent to separate regions of the semiconductor layer. During TFT operation, biasing of the gate electrode can induce one or more transistor channel within the semiconductor layer, electrically coupling together the source and drain metallization. A width of the channel may be proportional to a height of the gate electrode pillar clad by the semiconductor layer, while a length of the channel may be proportional to the spacing between contacts occupied by the semiconductor layer. In some embodiments, a memory device may include cells comprising a vertical thin film select transistor and a capacitor (1TFT-1C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Yih Wang, Abhishek Sharma, Sean Ma, Van H. Le
  • Patent number: 11756998
    Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques, systems, and method for a semiconductor device. Embodiments herein may present a semiconductor device having a channel area including a channel III-V material, and a source area including a first portion and a second portion of the source area. The first portion of the source area includes a first III-V material, and the second portion of the source area includes a second III-V material. The channel III-V material, the first III-V material and the second III-V material may have a same lattice constant. Moreover, the first III-V material has a first bandgap, and the second III-V material has a second bandgap, the channel III-V material has a channel III-V material bandgap, where the channel material bandgap, the second bandgap, and the first bandgap form a monotonic sequence of bandgaps. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Ying Huang, Tahir Ghani, Jack Kavalieros, Anand Murthy, Harold Kennel, Gilbert Dewey, Matthew Metz, Willy Rachmady, Sean Ma, Nicholas Minutillo
  • Patent number: 11695081
    Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques, systems, and method for a semiconductor device. A semiconductor device may include isolation areas above a substrate to form a trench between the isolation areas. A first buffer layer is over the substrate, in contact with the substrate, and within the trench. A second buffer layer is within the trench over the first buffer layer, and in contact with the first buffer layer. A channel area is above the first buffer layer, above a portion of the second buffer layer that are below a source area or a drain area, and without being vertically above a portion of the second buffer layer. In addition, the source area or the drain area is above the second buffer layer, in contact with the second buffer layer, and adjacent to the channel area. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sean Ma, Nicholas Minutillo, Cheng-Ying Huang, Tahir Ghani, Jack Kavalieros, Anand Murthy, Harold Kennel, Gilbert Dewey, Matthew Metz, Willy Rachmady
  • Publication number: 20230114214
    Abstract: Single-sided nanosheet transistor structures comprising an upper channel material over a lower channel material. A first dielectric material is formed adjacent to a first sidewall of the upper and lower channel materials. A second dielectric material is formed adjacent to a second sidewall of the upper and lower channel materials. The first sidewall of the upper and lower channel materials is exposed by etching at least a portion of the first dielectric material. A sidewall portion of the second dielectric material may be exposed by removing sacrificial material from between the upper and lower channel materials. A single-sided gate stack may then be formed in direct contact with the first sidewall of the upper and lower channel materials, and in contact with the sidewall portion of the second dielectric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Cea, Biswajeet Guha, Leonard Guler, Tahir Ghani, Sean Ma
  • Publication number: 20230074199
    Abstract: Gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having vertically discrete source or drain structures, and methods of fabricating gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having vertically discrete source or drain structures, are described. For example, an integrated circuit structure includes a vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A gate stack is around the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A first epitaxial source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the first epitaxial source or drain structure including vertically discrete portions aligned with the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A second epitaxial source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the second epitaxial source or drain structure including vertically discrete portions aligned with the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Glenn GLASS, Anand MURTHY, Biswajeet GUHA, Dax M. CRUM, Sean MA, Tahir GHANI, Susmita GHOSE, Stephen CEA, Rishabh MEHANDRU
  • Patent number: 11574910
    Abstract: A device is disclosed. The device includes a plurality of capacitors, a transistor connected to each of the plurality of capacitors, and a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer on respective adjacent sides of adjacent capacitors of the plurality of capacitors. The first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer include a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion of the first dielectric layer and the top portion of the second dielectric layer extend from respective directions and meet at a top portion of a space between the adjacent capacitors, the bottom portion of the first dielectric layer and the bottom portion of the second dielectric layer extend from respective directions and meet at a bottom portion of a space between the adjacent capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Abhishek Sharma, Willy Rachmady, Van H. Le, Travis W. Lajoie, Urusa Alaan, Hui Jae Yoo, Sean Ma, Aaron Lilak
  • Publication number: 20230006067
    Abstract: A transistor is described. The transistor includes a substrate, a first semiconductor structure above the substrate, a second semiconductor structure above the substrate, a source contact that includes a first metal structure that contacts a plurality of surfaces of the first semiconductor structure and a drain contact that includes a second metal structure that contacts a plurality of surfaces of the second semiconductor structure. The transistor also includes a gate below a back side of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Sean MA, Abhishek SHARMA, Gilbert DEWEY, Jack T. KAVALIEROS, Van H. LE
  • Patent number: 11527613
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided which comprises: a plurality of nanowire transistors stacked vertically, wherein each nanowire transistor of the plurality of nanowire transistors comprises a corresponding nanowire of a plurality of nanowires; and a gate stack, wherein the gate stack fully encircles at least a section of each nanowire of the plurality of nanowires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Aaron Lilak, Patrick Keys, Sean Ma, Stephen Cea, Rishabh Mehandru
  • Patent number: 11527612
    Abstract: Gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having vertically discrete source or drain structures, and methods of fabricating gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having vertically discrete source or drain structures, are described. For example, an integrated circuit structure includes a vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A gate stack is around the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A first epitaxial source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the first epitaxial source or drain structure including vertically discrete portions aligned with the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A second epitaxial source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the second epitaxial source or drain structure including vertically discrete portions aligned with the vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Glenn Glass, Anand Murthy, Biswajeet Guha, Dax M. Crum, Sean Ma, Tahir Ghani, Susmita Ghose, Stephen Cea, Rishabh Mehandru