Patents by Inventor Tony Thanh Phan

Tony Thanh Phan 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: 8174077
    Abstract: Formation of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having a desired breakdown voltage (BV) is disclosed. The breakdown voltage (BV) of the device can be set, at least in part, by varying the degree to which a surface junction between two doped areas is covered. This junction can be covered in one embodiment by a dielectric material and/or a semiconductor material. Moreover, a variable breakdown voltage can be established by concurrently forming, in a single process flow, multiple diodes that have different breakdown voltages, where the diodes are also formed concurrently with circuitry that is to be protected. To generate the variable or different breakdown voltages, respective edges of isolation regions can be extended to cover more of the surface junctions of different diodes. In this manner, a first diode can have a first breakdown voltage (BV1), a second diode can have a second breakdown voltage (BV2), a third diode can have a third breakdown voltage (BV3), etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Martin B. Mollat, Tony Thanh Phan
  • Publication number: 20110278693
    Abstract: Formation of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having a desired breakdown voltage (BV) is disclosed. The breakdown voltage (BV) of the device can be set, at least in part, by varying the degree to which a surface junction between two doped areas is covered. This junction can be covered in one embodiment by a dielectric material and/or a semiconductor material. Moreover, a variable breakdown voltage can be established by concurrently forming, in a single process flow, multiple diodes that have different breakdown voltages, where the diodes are also formed concurrently with circuitry that is to be protected. To generate the variable or different breakdown voltages, respective edges of isolation regions can be extended to cover more of the surface junctions of different diodes. In this manner, a first diode can have a first breakdown voltage (BV1), a second diode can have a second breakdown voltage (BV2), a third diode can have a third breakdown voltage (BV3), etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Martin B. Mollat, Tony Thanh Phan
  • Patent number: 7986010
    Abstract: Formation of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having a desired breakdown voltage (BV) is disclosed. The breakdown voltage (BV) of the device can be set, at least in part, by varying the degree to which a surface junction between two doped areas is covered. This junction can be covered in one embodiment by a dielectric material and/or a semiconductor material. Moreover, a variable breakdown voltage can be established by concurrently forming, in a single process flow, multiple diodes that have different breakdown voltages, where the diodes are also formed concurrently with circuitry that is to be protected. To generate the variable or different breakdown voltages, respective edges of isolation regions can be extended to cover more of the surface junctions of different diodes. In this manner, a first diode can have a first breakdown voltage (BV1), a second diode can have a second breakdown voltage (BV2), a third diode can have a third breakdown voltage (BV3), etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Martin B. Mollat, Tony Thanh Phan
  • Publication number: 20100193868
    Abstract: Formation of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having a desired breakdown voltage (BV) is disclosed. The breakdown voltage (BV) of the device can be set, at least in part, by varying the degree to which a surface junction between two doped areas is covered. This junction can be covered in one embodiment by a dielectric material and/or a semiconductor material. Moreover, a variable breakdown voltage can be established by concurrently forming, in a single process flow, multiple diodes that have different breakdown voltages, where the diodes are also formed concurrently with circuitry that is to be protected. To generate the variable or different breakdown voltages, respective edges of isolation regions can be extended to cover more of the surface junctions of different diodes. In this manner, a first diode can have a first breakdown voltage (BV1), a second diode can have a second breakdown voltage (BV2), a third diode can have a third breakdown voltage (BV3), etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Martin B. Mollat, Tony Thanh Phan
  • Patent number: 7741205
    Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated circuit and a method of manufacture therefore therefor. The integrated circuit (100, 1000), in one embodiment without limitation, includes a dielectric layer (120, 1020) located over a wafer substrate (110, 1010), and a semiconductor substrate (130, 1030) located over the dielectric layer (120, 1020), the semiconductor substrate (130, 1030) having one or more transistor devices (140, 1040) located therein or thereon. The integrated circuit (100, 1000) may further include an interconnect (170, 1810) extending entirely through the semiconductor substrate (130, 1030) and the dielectric layer (120, 1020), thereby electrically contacting the wafer substrate (110, 1010).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Tony Thanh Phan, William C Loftin, John Lin, Philip L Hower
  • Patent number: 7709329
    Abstract: Formation of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having a desired breakdown voltage (BV) is disclosed. The breakdown voltage (BV) of the device can be set, at least in part, by varying the degree to which a surface junction between two doped areas is covered. This junction can be covered in one embodiment by a dielectric material and/or a semiconductor material. Moreover, a variable breakdown voltage can be established by concurrently forming, in a single process flow, multiple diodes that have different breakdown voltages, where the diodes are also formed concurrently with circuitry that is to be protected. To generate the variable or different breakdown voltages, respective edges of isolation regions can be extended to cover more of the surface junctions of different diodes. In this manner, a first diode can have a first breakdown voltage (BV1), a second diode can have a second breakdown voltage (BV2), a third diode can have a third breakdown voltage (BV3), etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Martin B. Mollat, Tony Thanh Phan
  • Publication number: 20080197451
    Abstract: Formation of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having a desired breakdown voltage (BV) is disclosed. The breakdown voltage (BV) of the device can be set, at least in part, by varying the degree to which a surface junction between two doped areas is covered. This junction can be covered in one embodiment by a dielectric material and/or a semiconductor material. Moreover, a variable breakdown voltage can be established by concurrently forming, in a single process flow, multiple diodes that have different breakdown voltages, where the diodes are also formed concurrently with circuitry that is to be protected. To generate the variable or different breakdown voltages, respective edges of isolation regions can be extended to cover more of the surface junctions of different diodes. In this manner, a first diode can have a first breakdown voltage (BV1), a second diode can have a second breakdown voltage (BV2), a third diode can have a third breakdown voltage (BV3), etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Martin B. Mollat, Tony Thanh Phan
  • Patent number: 7414296
    Abstract: The present invention provides method of manufacturing a metal-insulator-metal capacitor (100). A method of manufacturing includes depositing a first refractory metal layer (105) over a semiconductor substrate (110). The first refractory metal layer (105) over a capacitor region (200) of the semiconductor substrate (110) is removed and a second refractory metal (300) is deposited over the capacitor region (200). Other aspects of the present invention include a metal-insulator-metal capacitor (900) and a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit (1000).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Tony Thanh Phan, Farris D. Malone
  • Patent number: 7214550
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a thin film resistor (100). The resistor material (104), e.g., NiCr, is deposited. A hard mask material (106), e.g., TiW, may be deposited over the resistor material (104). The resistor material (104) and hard mask material (106) are patterned and sputter etched to form the resistor body. For example, a sputter etch chemistry comprising BCl3, Cl2, and Ar may be used to etch the resistor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Tony Thanh Phan, Daniel Tsai
  • Patent number: 7029972
    Abstract: The present invention provides method of manufacturing a metal-insulator-metal capacitor (100). A method of manufacturing includes depositing a first refractory metal layer (105) over a semiconductor substrate (110). The first refractory metal layer (105) over a capacitor region (200) of the semiconductor substrate (110) is removed and a second refractory metal (300) is deposited over the capacitor region (200). Other aspects of the present invention include a metal-insulator-metal capacitor (900) and a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit (1000).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Tony Thanh Phan, Farris D. Malone