Patents by Inventor SEAN T. MA

SEAN T. 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: 20240113161
    Abstract: A transistor includes a body of semiconductor material, where the body has laterally opposed body sidewalls and a top surface. A gate structure contacts the top surface of the body. A source region contacts a first one of the laterally opposed body sidewalls and a drain region contacts a second one of the laterally opposed body sidewalls. A first isolation region is under the source region and has a top surface in contact with a bottom surface of the source region. A second isolation region is under the drain region and has a top surface in contact with a bottom surface of the drain region. Depending on the transistor configuration, a major portion of the inner-facing sidewalls of the first and second isolation regions contact respective sidewalls of either a subfin structure (e.g., FinFET transistor configurations) or a lower portion of a gate structure (e.g., gate-all-around transistor configuration).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Willy RACHMADY, Cheng-Ying HUANG, Matthew V. METZ, Nicholas G. MINUTILLO, Sean T. MA, Anand S. MURTHY, Jack T. KAVALIEROS, Tahir GHANI, Gilbert DEWEY
  • Publication number: 20240105852
    Abstract: Top-gate thin film transistor (TFTs) structures. Thin film transistors when in the top-gate configuration suffer from contact resistance. An example TFT includes a semiconductor layer doped with one or more dopant elements. A gate dielectric layer is on the semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode is on the gate dielectric layer. The semiconductor layer is doped with the one or more dopant elements beneath the gate dielectric layer. The TFT may further include one or more contacts and/or one or more gate spacers, and the semiconductor layer may further be doped with the one or more dopant elements beneath the contact(s) and/or gate spacer(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Abhishek A. Sharma, Sean T. Ma, Van H. Le, Jack T. Kavalieros, Gilbert Dewey
  • Patent number: 11929435
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for an integrated circuit including a ferroelectric gate stack including a ferroelectric layer, an interfacial oxide layer, and a gate electrode. The ferroelectric layer can be voltage activated to switch between two ferroelectric states. Employing such a ferroelectric layer provides a reduction in leakage current in an off-state and provides an increase in charge in an on-state. The interfacial oxide layer can be formed between the ferroelectric layer and the gate electrode. Alternatively, the ferroelectric layer can be formed between the interfacial oxide layer and the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Gilbert Dewey, Willy Rachmady, Jack T. Kavalieros, Cheng-Ying Huang, Matthew V. Metz, Sean T. Ma, Harold Kennel, Tahir Ghani
  • Patent number: 11923410
    Abstract: A transistor includes a body of semiconductor material, where the body has laterally opposed body sidewalls and a top surface. A gate structure contacts the top surface of the body. A source region contacts a first one of the laterally opposed body sidewalls and a drain region contacts a second one of the laterally opposed body sidewalls. A first isolation region is under the source region and has a top surface in contact with a bottom surface of the source region. A second isolation region is under the drain region and has a top surface in contact with a bottom surface of the drain region. Depending on the transistor configuration, a major portion of the inner-facing sidewalls of the first and second isolation regions contact respective sidewalls of either a subfin structure (e.g., FinFET transistor configurations) or a lower portion of a gate structure (e.g., gate-all-around transistor configuration).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Willy Rachmady, Cheng-Ying Huang, Matthew V. Metz, Nicholas G. Minutillo, Sean T. Ma, Anand S. Murthy, Jack T. Kavalieros, Tahir Ghani, Gilbert Dewey
  • Patent number: 11916106
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are source/drain regions in integrated circuit (IC) structures, as well as related methods and components. For example, in some embodiments, an IC structure may include: an array of channel regions, including a first channel region and an adjacent second channel region; a first source/drain region proximate to the first channel region; a second source/drain region proximate to the second channel region; and an insulating material region at least partially between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sean T. Ma, Andy Chih-Hung Wei, Guillaume Bouche
  • Publication number: 20240064958
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include three-dimensional 3D arrays of memory cells and methods of forming such devices. In an embodiment a memory device comprises, a substrate surface, and a three-dimensional (3D) array of memory cells over the substrate surface. In an embodiment each memory cell comprises a transistor and a capacitor. In an embodiment the transistor of each memory cell comprises, a semiconductor channel, with a first end of the semiconductor channel electrically coupled to a bit line that runs substantially parallel to the substrate surface, and a second end of the semiconductor channel is electrically coupled to the capacitor. The transistor may also comprise a gate dielectric on a surface of the semiconductor channel between the first end and the second end of the semiconductor channel. In an embodiment, the gate dielectric is contacted by a word line that runs substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Aaron LILAK, Sean T. MA, Abhishek SHARMA
  • Publication number: 20240006484
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include transistors and methods of forming transistors. In an embodiment, the transistor comprises a channel with a first end and a second end opposite from the first end, a first spacer around the first end of the channel, a second spacer around the second end of the channel, and a gate stack over the channel, where the gate stack is between the first spacer and the second spacer. In an embodiment, the transistor may further comprise a first extension contacting the first end of the channel; and a second extension contacting the first end of the channel. In an embodiment, the transistor further comprises conductive layers over the first extension and the second extension outside of the first spacer and the second spacer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Ashish Verma PENUMATCHA, Kevin P. O'BRIEN, Kirby MAXEY, Carl H. NAYLOR, Chelsey DOROW, Uygar E. AVCI, Matthew V. METZ, Sudarat LEE, Chia-Ching LIN, Sean T. MA
  • Patent number: 11862730
    Abstract: Described is a thin film transistor which comprises: a dielectric comprising a dielectric material; a first structure adjacent to the dielectric, the first structure comprising a first material; a second structure adjacent to the first structure, the second structure comprising a second material wherein the second material is doped; a second dielectric adjacent to the second structure; a gate comprising a metal adjacent to the second dielectric; a spacer partially adjacent to the gate and the second dielectric; and a contact adjacent to the spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Abhishek A. Sharma, Sean T. Ma, Van H. Le, Jack T. Kavalieros, Gilbert Dewey
  • Patent number: 11849572
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include three-dimensional 3D arrays of memory cells and methods of forming such devices. In an embodiment a memory device comprises, a substrate surface, and a three-dimensional (3D) array of memory cells over the substrate surface. In an embodiment each memory cell comprises a transistor and a capacitor. In an embodiment the transistor of each memory cell comprises, a semiconductor channel, with a first end of the semiconductor channel electrically coupled to a bit line that runs substantially parallel to the substrate surface, and a second end of the semiconductor channel is electrically coupled to the capacitor. The transistor may also comprise a gate dielectric on a surface of the semiconductor channel between the first end and the second end of the semiconductor channel. In an embodiment, the gate dielectric is contacted by a word line that runs substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Lilak, Sean T. Ma, Abhishek Sharma
  • Patent number: 11784239
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are tri-gate transistor arrangements, and related methods and devices. For example, in some embodiments, a transistor arrangement may include a fin stack shaped as a fin extending away from a base, and a subfin dielectric stack. The fin includes a subfin portion and a channel portion, the subfin portion being closer to the base than the channel portion. The subfin dielectric stack includes a transistor dielectric material, and a fixed charge liner material disposed between the transistor dielectric material and the subfin portion of the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sean T. Ma, Aaron D. Lilak, Justin R. Weber, Harold W. Kennel, Willy Rachmady, Gilbert W. Dewey, Cheng-Ying Huang, Matthew V. Metz, Jack T. Kavalieros, Anand S. Murthy, Tahir Ghani
  • Patent number: 11764275
    Abstract: An apparatus including a transistor device disposed on a surface of a circuit substrate, the device including a body including opposing sidewalls defining a width dimension and a channel material including indium, the channel material including a profile at a base thereof that promotes indium atom diffusivity changes in the channel material in a direction away from the sidewalls. A method including forming a transistor device body on a circuit substrate, the transistor device body including opposing sidewalls and including a buffer material and a channel material on the buffer material, the channel material including indium and the buffer material includes a facet that promotes indium atom diffusivity changes in the channel material in a direction away from the sidewalls; and forming a gate stack on the channel material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Chandra S. Mohapatra, Glenn A. Glass, Harold W. Kennel, Anand S. Murthy, Willy Rachmady, Gilbert Dewey, Sean T. Ma, Matthew V. Metz, Jack T. Kavalieros, Tahir Ghani
  • Patent number: 11749715
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are isolation regions in integrated circuit (IC) structures, as well as related methods and components. For example, in some embodiments, an IC component may include: a first region including silicon; a second region including alternating layers of a second material and a third material, wherein the second material includes silicon and germanium, the third material includes silicon, and individual ones of the layers in the second region has a thickness that is less than 3 nanometers; and a third region including alternating layers of the second material and the third material, wherein individual ones of the layers in the third region has a thickness that is greater than 3 nanometers, and the second region is between the first region and the third region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Guillaume Bouche, Sean T. Ma, Andy Chih-Hung Wei
  • Publication number: 20230178552
    Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to form semiconductor devices having a stacked transistor configuration. An n-channel device and a p-channel device may both be gate-all-around (GAA) transistors each having any number of nanoribbons extending in the same direction where one device is located vertically above the other device. According to some embodiments, the n-channel device and the p-channel device conductively share the same gate, and a width of the gate structure around one device is greater than the width of the gate structure around the other device. According to some other embodiments, the n-channel device and the p-channel device each have a separate gate structure that is isolated from the other using a dielectric layer between them. A gate contact is adjacent to the upper device and contacts the gate structure of the other lower device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Ying Huang, Patrick Morrow, Arunshankar Venkataraman, Sean T. Ma, Willy Rachmady, Nicole K. Thomas, Marko Radosavljevic, Jack T. Kavalieros
  • Patent number: 11672133
    Abstract: A memory structure includes conductive lines extending horizontally in a spaced apart fashion within a vertical stack above a base or substrate. The vertical stack includes a plurality of conductive lines, the first and second conductive lines being part of the plurality. A gate structure extends vertically through the first and second conductive lines. The gate structure includes a body of semiconductor material and a dielectric, where the dielectric is between the body and the conductive lines. An isolation material is on at least one side of the vertical stack and in contact with the conductive lines. The vertical stack defines a void located vertically between at the first and second conductive lines in the vertical stack and laterally between the gate structure and the isolation material. The void may extend along a substantial length (e.g., 20 nm or more) of the first and second conductive lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron D. Lilak, Patrick R. Morrow, Hui Jae Yoo, Sean T. Ma, Scott B. Clendenning, Abhishek A. Sharma, Ehren Mannebach, Urusa Alaan
  • Patent number: 11670682
    Abstract: An apparatus is described. The apparatus includes a FINFET device having a channel. The channel is composed of a first semiconductor material that is epitaxially grown on a subfin structure beneath the channel. The subfin structure is composed of a second semiconductor material that is different than the first semiconductor material. The subfin structure is epitaxially grown on a substrate composed of a third semiconductor material that is different than the first and second semiconductor materials. The subfin structure has a doped region to substantially impede leakage currents between the channel and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Tahoe Research, Ltd.
    Inventors: Gilbert Dewey, Matthew V. Metz, Willy Rachmady, Anand S. Murthy, Chandra S. Mohapatra, Tahir Ghani, Sean T. Ma, Jack T. Kavalieros
  • Patent number: 11658072
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided which comprises: a fin; a layer formed on the fin, the layer dividing the fin in a first section and a second section; a first device formed on the first section of the fin; and a second device formed on the second section of the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron D. Lilak, Sean T. Ma, Justin R. Weber, Patrick Morrow, Rishabh Mehandru
  • Patent number: 11658222
    Abstract: An embodiment includes an apparatus comprising: a substrate; a thin film transistor (TFT) comprising: source, drain, and gate contacts; a semiconductor material, comprising a channel, between the substrate and the gate contact; a gate dielectric layer between the gate contact and the channel; and an additional layer between the channel and the substrate; wherein (a)(i) the channel includes carriers selected from the group consisting of hole carriers or electron carriers, (a)(ii) the additional layer includes an insulator material that includes charged particles having a polarity equal to a polarity of the carriers. Other embodiments are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Abhishek A. Sharma, Van H. Le, Jack T. Kavalieros, Tahir Ghani, Gilbert Dewey, Shriram Shivaraman, Sean T. Ma, Benjamin Chu-Kung
  • Publication number: 20230081882
    Abstract: A memory structure includes a spacer between a first side of a wordline conductor and a bitline conductor. A semiconductor material has horizontal portions extending from the bitline conductor along a top and bottom of the wordline conductor and has a contact portion extending along a second side of the wordline conductor between and connecting the horizontal portions. A high-? dielectric is between the semiconductor material and the wordline conductor. A capacitor has a first conductor, a second conductor, and an insulator between the first and second conductors, where the first conductor contacts the contact portion of the semiconductor material along the first side of the wordline conductor, and the second conductor connects to a ground terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sean T. Ma, Abhishek A. Sharma, Aaron D. Lilak, Hui Jae Yoo, Scott B. Clendenning, Van H. Le, Tristan A. Tronic, Urusa Alaan
  • Publication number: 20230073304
    Abstract: Discussed herein is gate spacing in integrated circuit (IC) structures, as well as related methods and components. For example, in some embodiments, an IC structure may include: a first gate metal having a longitudinal axis; a second gate metal, wherein the longitudinal axis of the first gate metal is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the second gate metal; a first dielectric material continuously around the first gate metal; and a second dielectric material continuously around the second gate metal, wherein the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material are present between the first gate metal and the second gate metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Guillaume Bouche, Andy Chih-Hung Wei, Sean T. Ma
  • Publication number: 20230057464
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are memory cells and memory arrays, as well as related methods and devices. For example, in some embodiments, a memory device may include: a support having a surface; and a three-dimensional array of memory cells on the surface of the support, wherein individual memory cells include a transistor and a capacitor, and a channel of the transistor in an individual memory cell is oriented parallel to the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sean T. Ma, Aaron D. Lilak, Abhishek A. Sharma, Van H. Le, Seung Hoon Sung, Gilbert W. Dewey, Benjamin Chu-Kung, Jack T. Kavalieros, Tahir Ghani