Patents by Inventor Stephen Weeks

Stephen Weeks 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: 12622025
    Abstract: A silicon carbide transistor may be formed with a channel that includes a p-doped region between n-doped source and drain regions. A counter-doped region may be formed at the top of the channel directly underneath the gate oxide. Instead of using the conventional doping levels for the p-doped region, the doping concentration may be increase to be greater than about 1e18 cm3. The transistor may also include pocket regions on one or both sides of the channel. The pocket regions may be formed in the counter-doped region and may extend up to the gate oxide. These improvements individually and/or in combination may increase the current in the channel of the transistor without significantly increasing the threshold voltage beyond acceptable operating limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ashish Pal, Pratik B. Vyas, El Mehdi Bazizi, Stephen Weeks, Ludovico Megalini, Siddarth Krishnan
  • Publication number: 20250285856
    Abstract: A method for processing a substrate for hybrid bonding that includes doping an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer prior to bonding of the substrate. A method may include forming an aluminum oxide layer with a metal dopant to form a doped aluminum oxide layer on the substrate where the doped aluminum oxide forms a bonding layer for a hybrid bonding process on an uppermost surface of the substrate. A metal contact is formed on the substrate that penetrates through the doped aluminum oxide layer and a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) process is performed to recess an uppermost surface of the metal contact below a surface of the doped aluminum oxide layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Publication date: September 11, 2025
    Inventors: Joshua Stuart HOLT, Mariia GORCHICHKO, Archana KUMAR, Amit PRAKASH, Shubhendra Kumar JAIN, William Oghandi CHARLES, Roger Allan QUON, Ryan Thomas LEY, Stephen WEEKS, Benjamin D. BRIGGS, Yoocharn JEON
  • Publication number: 20250286002
    Abstract: A method for substrate processing for hybrid bonding that includes forming an aluminum oxide crystallization barrier on a metal contact. In some embodiments, the method may include providing a substrate in preparation for a hybrid bonding process where the substrate has an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) bonding layer on an uppermost surface of the substrate and a metal contact is present in the aluminum oxide bonding layer. A crystallization barrier is formed on an uppermost surface of the metal contact. The crystallization barrier disrupts crystallization of the aluminum oxide bonding layer caused by interaction of the aluminum oxide material of the aluminum oxide bonding layer and a metal material of the metal contact during a subsequent annealing process of the hybrid bonding process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Publication date: September 11, 2025
    Inventors: Archana KUMAR, Benjamin D. BRIGGS, Mariia GORCHICHKO, Joshua Stuart HOLT, Shubhendra Kumar JAIN, William Oghandi CHARLES, Yoocharn JEON, Roger Allan QUON, Ryan Thomas LEY, Stephen WEEKS, Amit PRAKASH
  • Publication number: 20250285919
    Abstract: A method for preparing a substrate for hybrid bonding by forming an isolation barrier around metal contacts on the substrate to separate the metal contacts from an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) bonding layer prior to performing the hybrid bonding process. A method may include forming an aluminum oxide layer on the substrate as a bonding layer for a hybrid bonding process where the aluminum oxide layer is formed on a dielectric material on the substrate that is different from a material of the aluminum oxide layer, forming a metal contact on the substrate that penetrates through the aluminum oxide layer, and forming an isolation barrier around the metal contact where the isolation barrier prevents adjacent portions of the aluminum oxide layer next to the metal contact from completely covering an uppermost bonding surface of the metal contact during an annealing process of the hybrid bonding process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Publication date: September 11, 2025
    Inventors: William Oghandi CHARLES, Amit PRAKASH, Shubhendra Kumar JAIN, Mariia GORCHICHKO, Joshua Stuart HOLT, Archana KUMAR, Roger Allan QUON, Benjamin D. BRIGGS, Stephen WEEKS, Yoocharn JEON, Ryan Thomas LEY
  • Publication number: 20250037987
    Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include performing a pre-treatment on a substrate housed within a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The substrate may include a layer of silicon-and-carbon-containing material. The pre-treatment may remove native oxide or residue from a surface of the layer of silicon-and-carbon-containing material. The methods may include providing a silicon-containing precursor to the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include contacting the substrate with the silicon-containing precursor. The contacting may deposit a layer of silicon-containing material on the layer of silicon-and-carbon-containing material. The methods may include providing an oxygen-containing precursor to the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include contacting the substrate with the oxygen-containing precursor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Weeks, Hansel Lo, John Tolle, Christopher S. Olsen, Siddarth Krishnan
  • Publication number: 20240258375
    Abstract: A silicon carbide transistor may be formed with a channel that includes a p-doped region between n-doped source and drain regions. A counter-doped region may be formed at the top of the channel directly underneath the gate oxide. Instead of using the conventional doping levels for the p-doped region, the doping concentration may be increase to be greater than about 1e18 cm3. The transistor may also include pocket regions on one or both sides of the channel. The pocket regions may be formed in the counter-doped region and may extend up to the gate oxide. These improvements individually and/or in combination may increase the current in the channel of the transistor without significantly increasing the threshold voltage beyond acceptable operating limits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ashish Pal, Pratik B. Vyas, El Mehdi Bazizi, Stephen Weeks, Ludovico Megalini, Siddarth Krishnan
  • Patent number: 11603233
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thinner, movable load bearing structure having indentations, grooves, valleys, channels or other similar depressions on its underside. These depressions are mated with corresponding features for improved loading bearing capabilities. The load bearing structures also includes roughened side edges for improving the strength of the edges. The load bearing structure may be a dunnage platform or a container for storing and/or shipping cargo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: LESWEEK PTY LTD
    Inventors: Stephen Weeks, Chi Kong Lin
  • Publication number: 20220197146
    Abstract: Embodiments include a method of forming a metal oxo photoresist on a substrate. In an embodiment, the method comprises providing a target in a vacuum chamber, where the target comprises a metal. The method may continue with flowing a hydrocarbon gas and an inert gas into the vacuum chamber, and striking a plasma in the vacuum chamber. In an embodiment, the method further continues with depositing the metal oxo photoresist on the substrate, where the metal oxo photoresist comprise metal-carbon bonds and metal-oxygen bonds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Lauren Bagby, Stephen Weeks, Aaron Dangerfield, Lakmal Kalutarage, Jeffrey Anthis, Mark Saly, Regina Freed, Wayne French, Kelvin Chan
  • Publication number: 20210261293
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thinner, movable load bearing structure having indentations, grooves, valleys, channels or other similar depressions on its underside. These depressions are mated with corresponding features for improved loading bearing capabilities. The load bearing structures also includes roughened side edges for improving the strength of the edges. The load bearing structure may be a dunnage platform or a container for storing and/or shipping cargo.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Stephen Weeks, Chi Kong Lin
  • Patent number: 11021295
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thinner, movable load bearing structure having indentations, grooves, valleys, channels or other similar depressions on its underside. These depressions are mated with corresponding features for improved loading bearing capabilities. The load bearing structures also includes roughened side edges for improving the strength of the edges. The load bearing structure may be a dunnage platform or a container for storing and/or shipping cargo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: LESWEEK PTY LTD
    Inventors: Stephen Weeks, Chi Kong Lin
  • Patent number: 10833263
    Abstract: Provided are novel compositions of current compliance layers (CCLs) as well as novel methods of fabricating such CCLs and novel architectures of arranging CCLs and memory cells in memory arrays. A CCL may comprise one of sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te). The CCL may further comprise one of germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si). CCLs may be fabricated as amorphous structure and remain amorphous when heated to 400° C. or 450° C. and above. In some embodiments, CCLs have crystallization temperatures of greater than 400° C. and, in some embodiments, glass transition temperatures of greater than 400° C. CCLs may be fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a nanolaminate of layers having different compositions. The composition, number, and arrangement of the layers in the nanolaminate is specifically selected to yield a desired composition of CCL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: INTERMOLECULAR, INC.
    Inventors: Tony Chiang, Sergey V. Barabash, Karl Littau, Vijay Kris Narasimhan, Stephen Weeks
  • Publication number: 20200149158
    Abstract: Methods for depositing metal oxide layers on metal surfaces are described. The methods include exposing a substrate to separate doses of a metal precursor, which does not contain metal-oxygen bonds, and a modified alcohol with an electron withdrawing group positioned relative to a beta carbon so as to increase the acidity of a beta hydrogen attached to the beta carbon. These methods do not oxidize the underlying metal layer and are able to be performed at lower temperatures than processes performed with water or without modified alcohols.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Muthukumar Kaliappan, Michael Haverty, Aaron Dangerfield, Stephen Weeks, Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, Mark Saly
  • Publication number: 20200152867
    Abstract: Provided are novel compositions of current compliance layers (CCLs) as well as novel methods of fabricating such CCLs and novel architectures of arranging CCLs and memory cells in memory arrays. A CCL may comprise one of sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te). The CCL may further comprise one of germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si). CCLs may be fabricated as amorphous structure and remain amorphous when heated to 400° C. or 450° C. and above. In some embodiments, CCLs have crystallization temperatures of greater than 400° C. and, in some embodiments, glass transition temperatures of greater than 400° C. CCLs may be fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a nanolaminate of layers having different compositions. The composition, number, and arrangement of the layers in the nanolaminate is specifically selected to yield a desired composition of CCL.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Tony CHIANG, Sergey V. BARABASH, Karl LITTAU, Vijay Kris NARASIMHAN, Stephen WEEKS
  • Patent number: 10580978
    Abstract: Provided are novel compositions of current compliance layers (CCLs) as well as novel methods of fabricating such CCLs and novel architectures of arranging CCLs and memory cells in memory arrays. A CCL may comprise one of sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te). The CCL may further comprise one of germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si). CCLs may be fabricated as amorphous structure and remain amorphous when heated to 400° C. or 450° C. and above. In some embodiments, CCLs have crystallization temperatures of greater than 400° C. and, in some embodiments, glass transition temperatures of greater than 400° C. CCLs may be fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a nanolaminate of layers having different compositions. The composition, number, and arrangement of the layers in the nanolaminate is specifically selected to yield a desired composition of CCL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony Chiang, Sergey V Barabash, Karl Littau, Vijay Kris Narasimhan, Stephen Weeks
  • Patent number: 10562667
    Abstract: The present invention provides a movable load bearing structure having indentations, grooves, valleys, channels or other similar depressions on its underside. These depressions are mated with corresponding features for improved loading bearing capabilities. The load bearing structure may be a dunnage platform or a container for storing and/or shipping cargo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: LESWEEK PTY LTD
    Inventors: Chi Kong Lin, Stephen Weeks
  • Publication number: 20200039685
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thinner, movable load bearing structure having indentations, grooves, valleys, channels or other similar depressions on its underside. These depressions are mated with corresponding features for improved loading bearing capabilities. The load bearing structures also includes roughened side edges for improving the strength of the edges. The load bearing structure may be a dunnage platform or a container for storing and/or shipping cargo.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Stephen Weeks, Chi Kong Lin
  • Patent number: 10518931
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a movable load bearing structure having a light weight core covered with at least one polymeric sheet for improving its loading bearing strength. The movable load bearing structure includes indentations, grooves, valleys, channels or other similar depressions on its underside. These depressions are mated with corresponding features for improved loading bearing capabilities. The load bearing structures also includes roughened side edges for improving the strength of the edges. The movable structure may be in the form of a dunnage platform or a container for storing and/or shipping cargo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: LESWEEK Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Stephen Weeks, Chi Kong Lin
  • Publication number: 20190106242
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thinner, movable load bearing structure having indentations, grooves, valleys, channels or other similar depressions on its underside. These depressions are mated with corresponding features for improved loading bearing capabilities. The load bearing structures also includes roughened side edges for improving the strength of the edges. The load bearing structure may be a dunnage platform or a container for storing and/or shipping cargo.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen Weeks, Chi Kong Lin
  • Publication number: 20180370681
    Abstract: The present invention provides a movable load bearing structure having indentations, grooves, valleys, channels or other similar depressions on its underside. These depressions are mated with corresponding features for improved loading bearing capabilities. The load bearing structure may be a dunnage platform or a container for storing and/or shipping cargo.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Chi Kong Lin, Stephen Weeks
  • Publication number: 20180198064
    Abstract: Provided are novel compositions of current compliance layers (CCLs) as well as novel methods of fabricating such CCLs and novel architectures of arranging CCLs and memory cells in memory arrays. A CCL may comprise one of sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te). The CCL may further comprise one of germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si). CCLs may be fabricated as amorphous structure and remain amorphous when heated to 400° C. or 450° C. and above. In some embodiments, CCLs have crystallization temperatures of greater than 400° C. and, in some embodiments, glass transition temperatures of greater than 400° C. CCLs may be fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a nanolaminate of layers having different compositions. The composition, number, and arrangement of the layers in the nanolaminate is specifically selected to yield a desired composition of CCL.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: Intermolecular, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony Chiang, Sergey V Barabash, Karl Littau, Vijay Kris Narasimhan, Stephen Weeks