Patents by Inventor Thomas Y. Hoffmann

Thomas Y. Hoffmann 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: 20160365289
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a dual work function semiconductor device includes forming a first silicon oxide layer on a substrate and forming a first hafnium-containing dielectric material layer on the first silicon oxide layer. The method further includes forming an aluminum-containing dielectric material layer on the first hafnium-containing dielectric material layer and performing a thermal treatment to intermix the silicon oxide layer, the first hafnium-containing dielectric material layer and the aluminum-containing dielectric material layers. This results in an intermixing dielectric layer containing hafnium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen. The method further includes forming a first metal-containing conductive layer on the intermixing dielectric layer and patterning the first metal-containing conductive layer and the intermixing dielectric layer, thereby forming a first gate stack in a first region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventors: Joshua Tseng, Yasutoshi Okuno, Lars-Ake Ragnarsson, Tom Schram, Stefan Kubicek, Thomas Y. Hoffmann, Naohisa Sengoku
  • Publication number: 20120280326
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods for forming hybrid metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) and the hybrid MOSFETS thus obtained. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes providing a first substrate comprising a first region and a second region, providing a second substrate comprising a second semiconductor layer and an insulating layer overlaying the second semiconductor layer, and direct substrate bonding the second substrate to the first substrate, thereby contacting the first region and the second region with the insulating layer. The method further includes selectively removing the second semiconductor layer and the insulating layer in the first region, thereby exposing the first semiconductor layer in the first region, forming a first gate stack of a first MOSFET on the exposed first semiconductor layer in the first region, and forming a second gate stack of a second MOSFET on the second semiconductor layer in the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventors: Thomas Y. Hoffmann, Matty Caymax, Niamh Waldron, Geert Hellings
  • Patent number: 8012827
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a dual workfunction semiconductor device and the device made thereof are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes manufacturing a first transistor in a first region and a second transistor in a second region of a substrate, the first transistor including a first gate stack, the first gate stack having a first gate dielectric capping layer and a first metal gate electrode layer. The second gate stack is similar to the first gate stack. The method includes applying a first thermal budget to the first gate dielectric capping layer and a second thermal budget to the second gate dielectric capping material to tune the workfunction of the first and second gate stack, the first thermal budget being smaller than the second thermal budget such that after the thermal treatment the first and the second gate stack have different work functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: HongYu Yu, Shou-Zen Chang, Thomas Y. Hoffmann, Philippe Absil
  • Publication number: 20100219481
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a dual work function device is disclosed. In one aspect, the process includes a first and second region in a substrate. The method includes forming a first transistor in the first region which has a first work function. Subsequently, a second transistor is formed in the second region having a different work function. The process of forming the first transistor includes providing a first gate dielectric stack having a first gate dielectric layer and a first gate dielectric capping layer on the first gate dielectric layer, performing a thermal treatment to modify the first gate dielectric stack, the modified first gate dielectric stack defining the first work function, providing a first metal gate electrode layer on the modified first gate dielectric stack, and patterning the first metal gate electrode layer and the modified first gate dielectric stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicants: IMEC, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Tseng, Yasutoshi Okuno, Lars-Ake Ragnarsson, Tom Schram, Stefan Kubicek, Thomas Y. Hoffmann, Naohisa Sengoku
  • Publication number: 20090283835
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a dual workfunction semiconductor device and the device made thereof are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes manufacturing a first transistor in a first region and a second transistor in a second region of a substrate, the first transistor including a first gate stack, the first gate stack having a first gate dielectric capping layer and a first metal gate electrode layer. The second gate stack is similar to the first gate stack. The method includes applying a first thermal budget to the first gate dielectric capping layer and a second thermal budget to the second gate dielectric capping material to tune the workfunction of the first and second gate stack, the first thermal budget being smaller than the second thermal budget such that after the thermal treatment the first and the second gate stack have different work functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicants: Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum vzw (IMEC), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TSMC)
    Inventors: HongYu Yu, Shou-Zen Chang, Thomas Y. Hoffmann, Philippe Absil