Patents by Inventor Thomas N. Adam

Thomas N. Adam 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: 20140302658
    Abstract: A method and structure of an embedded stressor in a semiconductor transistor device having a sigma-shaped channel sidewall and a vertical isolation sidewall. The embedded stressor structure is made by a first etch to form a recess in a substrate having a gate and first and second spacers. The second spacers are removed and a second etch creates a step in the recess on a channel sidewall. An anisotropic etch creates facets in the channel sidewall of the recess. Where the facets meet, a vertex is formed. The depth of the vertex is determined by the second etch depth (step depth). The lateral position of the vertex is determined by the thickness of the first spacers. A semiconductor material having a different lattice spacing than the substrate is formed in the recess to achieve the embedded stressor structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 8853750
    Abstract: A channel region of a finFET has fins having apexes in a first direction parallel to a surface of a substrate, each fin extending downwardly from the apex, with a gate overlying the apexes and between adjacent fins. A semiconductor stressor region extends in at least the first direction away from the fins to apply a stress to the channel region. Source and drain regions of the finFET can be separated from one another by the channel region, with the source and/or drain at least partly in the semiconductor stressor region. The stressor region includes a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region overlying and extending from the first semiconductor region. The second semiconductor region can be more heavily doped than the first semiconductor region, and the first and second semiconductor regions can have opposite conductivity types where at least a portion of the second semiconductor region meets the first semiconductor region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek
  • Publication number: 20140284760
    Abstract: Integrated passive devices for silicon on insulator (SOI) FinFET technologies and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a passive device on a substrate on insulator material. The method further includes removing a portion of the insulator material to expose an underside surface of the substrate on insulator material. The method further includes forming material on the underside surface of the substrate on insulator material, thereby locally thickening the substrate on insulator material under the passive device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Thomas N. Adam, Balasubramanian Pranatharthi Haran, Shom Ponoth, Theodorus E. Standaert, Tenko Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8841185
    Abstract: A high density bulk fin capacitor is disclosed. Fin capacitors are formed near finFETs by further etching the fin capacitors to provide more surface area, resulting in increased capacitance density. Embodiments of the present invention include depletion-mode varactors and inversion-mode varactors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ali Khakifirooz, Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 8841188
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes forming a material stack on a semiconductor substrate, the material stack including a first dielectric layer on the substrate, a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer, and a third dielectric layer on the second dielectric layer, wherein the second dielectric layer is a high-k dielectric. Openings are formed through the material stack to expose a surface of the semiconductor substrate. A semiconductor material is formed in the openings through the material stack. The first dielectric layer is removed selectively to the second dielectric layer and the semiconductor material. A gate structure is formed on a channel portion of the semiconductor material. In some embodiments, the method may provide a plurality of finFET or trigate semiconductor device in which the fin structures of those devices have substantially the same height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Reznicek, Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz
  • Publication number: 20140264600
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided that includes providing a material stack that includes a silicon layer, a doped semiconductor layer, and an undoped silicon germanium layer. At least one fin structure is formed from the material stack by etching through the undoped silicon germanium layer, the doped semiconductor layer, and etching a portion of the silicon-containing layer. An isolation region is formed in contact with at least one end of the at least one fin structure. An anodization process removes the doped semiconductor layer of the at least one fin structure to provide a void. A dielectric layer is deposited to fill the void that is present between the silicon layer and the doped semiconductor layer. Source and drain regions are then formed on a channel portion of the at least one fin structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Bruce B. Doris, Pouya Hashemi, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek
  • Publication number: 20140264612
    Abstract: Embodiments include epitaxial source/drain regions having curved top surfaces and methods of forming the same. According to an exemplary embodiment, an epitaxial semiconductor region having a curved top surface may be formed by providing a region having a substantially planar bottom made of semiconductor material and sidewalls made of non-semiconductor material substantially perpendicular to the planar bottom, depositing a semiconductor layer having a crystalline portion on the flat bottom and amorphous portions on the sidewalls using a low pressure chemical vapor deposition process with a nitrogen carrier gas, and removing the amorphous portions from the sidewalls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: KANGGUO CHENG, ALI KHAKIFIROOZ, ALEXANDER REZNICEK, THOMAS N. ADAM
  • Publication number: 20140273418
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes forming a set of doped regions in a substrate; forming a crystalline dielectric layer on the substrate, the crystalline dielectric layer including an epitaxial oxide; forming a semiconductor layer on the crystalline dielectric layer, the semiconductor layer and the crystalline dielectric layer forming an extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator (ETSOI) structure; and forming a set of devices on the semiconductor layer, wherein at least one device in the set of devices is formed over a doped region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Thomas N. Adam, Bruce B. Doris, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek, Raghavasimhan Sreenivasan
  • Publication number: 20140264594
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided that includes providing a material stack that includes a silicon layer, a doped semiconductor layer, and an undoped silicon germanium layer. At least one fin structure is formed from the material stack by etching through the undoped silicon germanium layer, the doped semiconductor layer, and etching a portion of the silicon-containing layer. An isolation region is formed in contact with at least one end of the at least one fin structure. An anodization process removes the doped semiconductor layer of the at least one fin structure to provide a void. A dielectric layer is deposited to fill the void that is present between the silicon layer and the doped semiconductor layer. Source and drain regions are then formed on a channel portion of the at least one fin structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Bruce B. Doris, Pouya Hashemi, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek
  • Publication number: 20140264387
    Abstract: A fin field effect transistor including a plurality of fin structures on a substrate, and a shared gate structure on a channel portion of the plurality of fin structures. The fin field effect transistor further includes an epitaxial semiconductor material having a first portion between adjacent fin structures in the plurality of fin structures and a second portion present on outermost sidewalls of end fin structures of the plurality of fin structures. The epitaxial semiconductor material provides a source region and at drain region to each fin structure of the plurality of fin structures. A nitride containing spacer is present on the outermost sidewalls of the second portion of the epitaxial semiconductor material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexander Reznicek, Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Paul C. Jamison, Ali Khakifirooz
  • Publication number: 20140252427
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include methods of forming gate caps. Embodiments may include providing a semiconductor device including a gate on a semiconductor substrate and a source/drain region on the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the gate, forming a blocking region, a top surface of which extends above a top surface of the gate, depositing an insulating layer above the semiconductor device, and planarizing the insulating layer using the blocking region as a planarization stop. Embodiments further include semiconductor devices having a semiconductor substrate, a gate above the semiconductor substrate, a source/drain region adjacent to the gate, a gate cap above the gate that cover the full width of the gate, and a contact adjacent to the source/drain region having a portion of its sidewall defined by the gate cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek, Raghavasimhan Sreenivasan, Thomas N. Adam
  • Publication number: 20140256106
    Abstract: A dielectric metal compound liner can be deposited on a semiconductor fin prior to formation of a disposable gate structure. The dielectric metal compound liner protects the semiconductor fin during the pattering of the disposable gate structure and a gate spacer. The dielectric metal compound liner can be removed prior to formation of source and drain regions and a replacement gate structure. Alternately, a dielectric metal compound liner can be deposited on a semiconductor fin and a gate stack, and can be removed after formation of a gate spacer. Further, a dielectric metal compound liner can be deposited on a semiconductor fin and a disposable gate structure, and can be removed after formation of a gate spacer and removal of the disposable gate structure. The dielectric metal compound liner can protect the semiconductor fin during formation of the gate spacer in each embodiment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicants: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC., INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ali Khakifirooz, Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Shom Ponoth, Alexander Reznicek, Raghavasimhan Sreenivasan, Xiuyu Cai, Ruilong Xie
  • Patent number: 8828831
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor article which includes a semiconductor substrate; a gate structure having a spacer adjacent to a conducting material of the gate structure wherein a corner of the spacer is faceted to create a faceted space between the faceted spacer and the semiconductor substrate; and a raised source/drain adjacent to the gate structure, the raised source/drain filling the faceted space and having a surface parallel to the semiconductor substrate. Also disclosed is a method of making the semiconductor article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek
  • Publication number: 20140242797
    Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor assembly including the steps of: (i) providing an initial-state assembly including: (a) a fin layer, and (b) a hard mask layer located on top of at least a portion of the fin layer; (ii) performing a first material removal on the initial-state assembly, by CMP, to yield a second-state assembly; and (iii) performing a second material removal on the second-state assembly to yield a third-state assembly. In the first material-removal step: (i) any remaining portion of the soft sacrificial layer is removed, (ii) a portion of the fin layer is removed, and (iii) the lower portion of the hard mask layer is used as a stop layer for the second material removal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Donald F. Canaperi, Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek, Raghavasimhan Sreenivasan, Charan Veera Venkata Satya Surisetty
  • Patent number: 8816436
    Abstract: A fin resistor and method of fabrication are disclosed. The fin resistor comprises a plurality of fins arranged in a linear pattern with an alternating pattern of epitaxial regions. An anneal diffuses dopants from the epitaxial regions into the fins. Contacts are connected to endpoint epitaxial regions to allow the resistor to be connected to more complex integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Thomas N. Adam, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 8815656
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing method is provided which promotes greater growth on <110> crystallographic planes than on other crystallographic planes. Growth rates with the process can be reversed compared to typical epitaxial growth processes such that the highest rate of growth occurs on <110> crystallographic planes and the least amount of growth occurs on <100> crystallographic planes. The process can be applied to form embedded stressor regions in planar field effect transistors, and the process can be used to grow semiconductor layers on exposed wall surfaces of adjacent fins in source-drain regions of finFETs to fill spaces between the fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Judson R. Holt, Keith H. Tabakman, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 8809920
    Abstract: A dielectric metal compound liner can be deposited on a semiconductor fin prior to formation of a disposable gate structure. The dielectric metal compound liner protects the semiconductor fin during the pattering of the disposable gate structure and a gate spacer. The dielectric metal compound liner can be removed prior to formation of source and drain regions and a replacement gate structure. Alternately, a dielectric metal compound liner can be deposited on a semiconductor fin and a gate stack, and can be removed after formation of a gate spacer. Further, a dielectric metal compound liner can be deposited on a semiconductor fin and a disposable gate structure, and can be removed after formation of a gate spacer and removal of the disposable gate structure. The dielectric metal compound liner can protect the semiconductor fin during formation of the gate spacer in each embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Globalfoundries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Khakifirooz, Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Shom Ponoth, Alexander Reznicek, Raghavasimhan Sreenivasan, Xiuyu Cai, Ruilong Xie
  • Patent number: 8802513
    Abstract: A fin field effect transistor including a plurality of fin structures on a substrate, and a shared gate structure on a channel portion of the plurality of fin structures. The fin field effect transistor further includes an epitaxial semiconductor material having a first portion between adjacent fin structures in the plurality of fin structures and a second portion present on outermost sidewalls of end fin structures of the plurality of fin structures. The epitaxial semiconductor material provides a source region and at drain region to each fin structure of the plurality of fin structures. A nitride containing spacer is present on the outermost sidewalls of the second portion of the epitaxial semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Reznicek, Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Paul C. Jamison, Ali Khakifirooz
  • Publication number: 20140203361
    Abstract: An aspect of this invention is a method for fabricating an extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator (ETSOI) field-effect transistor (FET) having an epitaxial source and drain. The method includes providing an ETSOI substrate; forming at least one isolation structure on the ETSOI substrate; forming a gate on the ETSOI substrate; forming a spacer-on the ETSOI substrate; and using an epitaxial growth process to provide a raised source/drain structure having a non-uniform concentration of carbon along a vertical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Kevin K. Chan, Kangguo Cheng, Bruce B. Doris, Abhishek Dube, Dechao Guo, Ali Khakifirooz, Ravikumar Ramachandran, Alexander Reznicek
  • Publication number: 20140203363
    Abstract: An aspect of this invention is a method for fabricating an extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator (ETSOI) field-effect transistor (FET) having an epitaxial source and drain. The method includes providing an ETSOI substrate; forming at least one isolation structure on the ETSOI substrate; forming a gate on the ETSOI substrate; forming a spacer on the ETSOI substrate; and using an epitaxial growth process to provide a raised source/drain structure having a non-uniform concentration of carbon along a vertical axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Kevin K. Chan, Kangguo Cheng, Bruce B. Doris, Abhishek Dube, Dechao Guo, Ali Khakifirooz, Ravikumar Ramachandran, Alexander Reznicek