Patents by Inventor Tao-Cheng Lu

Tao-Cheng Lu 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: 20030197588
    Abstract: This invention relates to a voltage regulated circuit, more particularly, to a voltage regulated circuit with a well resistor divider. The present invention applies two well resistors act as the voltage regulated circuit and uses the characteristic of the well resistor in the resistance value, which is increased following the voltage that is transmitted to the well resistor to make an output voltage become a stable value. When the input voltage is an instable and over-high value, the depletion region in the well resistor will extend to absorb the over-high voltage value and make the output voltage to become a stable voltage value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD., Taiwan
    Inventors: Yao-Wen Chang, Hui-Chih Lin, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030199143
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a non-volatile memory having a P-type floating gate is described. A tunneling layer is formed on a substrate and then a first patterned polysilicon layer is formed on the tunneling layer. A buried drain is formed in the substrate beside the first polysilicon layer and then an insulating structure is formed on the tunneling layer on the buried drain. Thereafter, a second polysilicon layer is formed on the first polysilicon layer to constitute a floating gate together with the first polysilicon layer. A P-type ion is implanted into the second polysilicon layer and then a dielectric layer and a control gate are sequentially formed on the floating gate. A thermal process is then performed to make the P-type, ion in the second polysilicon layer diffuse into the first polysilicon layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2002
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Inventors: Hung-Sui Lin, Nian-Kai Zous, Tao-Cheng Lu, Kent Kuohua Chang
  • Patent number: 6635946
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with trench isolation structure is disclosed. The invention uses a trench isolation structure that can be formed by using conventional methods to prevent problems such as drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL), punch-through leakage and spiking leakage. Thus these poor electrical properties of the conventional semiconductor device with a shallow junction depth resulting from the shrink of design rules can be solved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Han-Chao Lai, Hung-Sui Lin, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030185052
    Abstract: A method of a read scheme for a non-volatile memory cell. The non-volatile memory cell includes a substrate, a source, a drain and a gate above a channel separated by a nonconducting charge trapping material sandwiched between first and second insulating layers. The method applies a first positive drain-to-source bias, a second positive source-to-substrate bias, and a third positive gate-to-source bias to read the source-side charges trapped in the trapping material near the source side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Chih-Chieh Yeh, Wen-Jer Tsai, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030185051
    Abstract: A virtual ground nonvolatile memory cell array is formed by a plurality of adjacent nonvolatile memory cells arranged in rows and columns so as to form an array. Each of the nonvolatile memory cells is formed by an N channel MOSFET with a trapping layer formed between two isolating layers. In the erase state, the trapping layer stores an amount of electrons. A method for programming the virtual ground nonvolatile memory cell array is also disclosed. The potentials applied to the bitlines and wordlines in the array are preset to program nonvolatile memory cells and not to disturb cells adjacent to the nonvolatile memory cell to be programmed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Chieh Yeh, Wen-Jer Tsai, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030185055
    Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a trapping nonvolatile memory cell comprising a P type semiconductor substrate with a N+ source and a N+ drain being formed on the semiconductor substrate, a channel being formed between the source and the drain. A first isolating layer, a nonconducting charge trapping layer, a second isolating layer and a gate are sequentially formed above the channel. The trapping layer stores an amount of electrons as the nonvolatile memory cell is erased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Chieh Yeh, Wen-Jer Tsai, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Patent number: 6628488
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit is disclosed. This invention relates an electrostatic discharge protection circuit for multi-power and mixed-voltage integrated circuit. In the electrostatic discharge protection circuit of the invention, an ESD protection cell formed with voltage selector, control circuit and transistor is used to connect with a independent power and ESD bus is used to connect with each ESD protection cell so that each power is isolated from each other during normal operation. Therefore, each power can be operated independently and circuit will be prevented from ESD during ESD discharging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Meng-Huang Liu, Chun-Hsiang Lai, Shin Su, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030178624
    Abstract: A transistor device that includes at least two transistors, each transistor including a source region, a drain region, and a shallow trench isolation formed between and contiguous with the source and drain regions, wherein the shallow trench isolation electrically isolates the source and drain regions to minimize the short-channel effects, a conductor layer disposed over the source region, shallow trench isolation, and drain region, wherein the conductor layer electrically connects the source and drain regions to serve as a channel region, a gate oxide disposed over the conductor layer, and a gate structure formed over the gate oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Applicant: Macronix International Co., LTD
    Inventors: Hung-Sui Lin, Han Chao Lai, Tao Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030179603
    Abstract: Disclosed is a trim circuit and method for tuning a current level of a reference cell in a flash memory that includes a sense amplifier to compare a cell current from a memory cell whose gate receives a word line signal voltage with a reference current from the reference cell whose gate receives a bias voltage produced by dividing the word line signal voltage by a voltage divider to thereby produce a sense signal. The voltage divider includes at least a programmable flash cell to serve as a variable resistor whose resistance is determined by programming the programmable flash cell by a programming/erasing circuit in reference to the programming of the memory cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventors: Chih-Chieh Yeh, Tso-Hung Fan, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Patent number: 6624737
    Abstract: This invention relates to a voltage regulated circuit, more particularly, to a voltage regulated circuit with a well resistor divider. The present invention applies two well resistors act as the voltage regulated circuit and uses the characteristic of the well resistor in the resistance value, which is increased following the voltage that is transmitted to the well resistor to make an output voltage become a stable value. When the input voltage is an instable and over-high value, the depletion region in the well resistor will extend to absorb the over-high voltage value and make the output voltage to become a stable voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Macronix International., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yao-Wen Chang, Hui-Chih Lin, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030174540
    Abstract: A device for converging an erased flash memory array. The memory array includes a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell having a control gate, a floating gate, a source, and a drain. The drain voltage supply is coupled to the drain for providing a positive drain voltage. The constant current supply is coupled to the source for providing a source current. The control gate power supply is coupled to the control gate for providing a gradually increasing gate voltage to the control gate to control the source current flowing through the memory cell and adjust the threshold voltage of the memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Tso-Hung Fan, Chih-Chieh Yeh, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Patent number: 6620693
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a non-volatile memory is described. A planar doped region is formed in the substrate at first. A mask layer and a patterned photoresist layer are sequentially formed on the substrate. A plurality of trenches is formed in the substrate with the patterned photoresist layer as a mask to divide the planar doped region into a plurality of bit-lines. The patterned photoresist layer is removed and then a recovering process is performed to recover the side-walls and the bottoms of the trenches from the damages caused by the trench etching step; The mask layer is removed. A dielectric layer is formed on the substrate and then a plurality of word-lines is formed on the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Han-Chao Lai, Hung-Sui Lin, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Patent number: 6618230
    Abstract: The present invention provides an IC ESD cell, which is applicable to multiple-power-input and mixed-voltage ICs and capable of maintaining power sequence independence of each power source. The ESD cell of the present invention comprises a voltage selector circuit, which connects two separate power sources to select the one having a higher potential as the output voltage. An NMOS is used to connect the two separate power sources. An RC circuit is connected to an output of the voltage selector circuit to distinguish ESD event from normal power source. Therefore, the channel of the NMOS will be conducted to let the ESD current be led out via a designed path, hence preventing internal circuits of an IC from damage and accomplishing the object of whole chip protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Meng Huaug Liu, Chun-Hsiang Lai, Sing Su, Tao Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030166340
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing chalcogenide memory in a semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventors: Mu-Yi Liu, Tso-Hung Fan, Kwang-Yang Chan, Yen-Hung Yeh, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Patent number: 6614694
    Abstract: A method of an erase scheme for a non-volatile memory cell. The non-volatile memory cell includes a substrate, source, drain with a channel region and a gate above the channel region separated by nonconducting charge-trapping material sandwiched between first and second insulating layers. The method includes the following steps. First, hot hole erase is performed to inject hot holes into the nonconducting charge-trapping material to eliminate first electrons trapped in the nonconducting charge-trapping material and causing some holes to remain in the second insulating layer. Finally, soft anneal is performed to inject second electrons to the second insulating layer to eliminate the holes left in the second insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Chieh Yeh, Wen-Jer Tsai, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Patent number: 6613595
    Abstract: A method is used for testing a tunneling oxide layer of a flash memory. The method includes providing a test device. The test device includes a diffusion region, a floating gate electrode above the diffusion region, and a tunneling oxide layer disposed between the diffusion region and the floating gate electrode. Multiple contacts are disposed over the periphery of the floating gate but not over the diffusion region. Multiple contacts are disposed over the diffusion region. A first voltage is applied to the floating-gate contacts and A second voltage is applied on to the diffusion-region contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tso-Hung Fan, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Patent number: 6607957
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a nitride read only memory (NROM), comprising: forming a doped polysilicon layer over a substrate, defining the doped polysilicon layer by using a patterned mask layer to form a plurality of doped polysilicon lines and expose a portion of the substrate. Afterwards, a thermal process is performed to form an oxide layer on the exposed substrate and sidewalls of the doped polysilicon lines. During the thermal process, the dopants are driven into the substrate to form a source/drain region, thus obtaining a plurality of bit lines including the doped polysilicon lines and the source/drain region. Following removal of the patterned mask layer, a self-aligned silicide layer is formed on the top surface of the bit lines. After removing the oxide layer, a silicon nitride stacked layer and a plurality of word lines are formed over the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tso-Hung Fan, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030146740
    Abstract: This invention relates to a voltage regulated circuit, more particularly, to a voltage regulated circuit with a well resistor divider. The present invention applies two well resistors act as the voltage regulated circuit and uses the characteristic of the well resistor in the resistance value, which is increased following the voltage that is transmitted to the well resistor to make an output voltage become a stable value. When the input voltage is an instable and over-high value, the depletion region in the well resistor will extend to absorb the over-high voltage value and make the output voltage to become a stable voltage value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Applicant: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yao-Wen Chang, Hui-Chih Lin, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030137000
    Abstract: A flash memory with virtual ground scheme. The memory includes a first type substrate, second type doped regions, a stacked gate structure, a first type ion-implanted region, and switches. The second type doped regions are formed in the first type substrate. The stacked gate structure is formed on the surface of the first type substrate and between the second type doped regions. The first type ion-implanted region is formed on only one side of the second type doped region and the first type substrate. The switches are coupled to the second type doped regions respectively for selective provision of a predetermined voltage value and a ground level to the second type doped regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Tso-Hung Fan, Tao-Cheng Lu
  • Publication number: 20030134478
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a non-volatile memory is described. A planar doped region is formed in the substrate at first. A mask layer and a patterned photoresist layer are sequentially formed on the substrate. A plurality of trenches is formed in the substrate with the patterned photoresist layer as a mask to divide the planar doped region into a plurality of bit-lines. The patterned photoresist layer is removed and then a recovering process is performed to recover the side-walls and the bottoms of the trenches from the damages caused by the trench etching step. The mask layer is removed. A dielectric layer is formed on the substrate and then a plurality of word-lines is formed on the dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Inventors: Han-Chao Lai, Hung-Sui Lin, Tao-Cheng Lu