Patents by Inventor Walid M. Hafez

Walid M. Hafez 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: 10002954
    Abstract: Embodiments of semiconductor devices, integrated circuit devices and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, a semiconductor device may include a first fin and a second fin disposed on a substrate. The first fin may have a portion including a first material disposed between a second material and the substrate, the second material disposed between a third material and the first material, and the third material disposed between a fourth material and the second material. The first and third materials may be formed from a first type of extrinsic semiconductor, and the second and fourth materials may be formed from a second, different type of extrinsic semiconductor. The second fin may be laterally separated from the first fin and materially contiguous with at least one of the first, second, third or fourth materials. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan
  • Publication number: 20180158906
    Abstract: A dielectric and isolation lower fin material is described that is useful for fin-based electronics. In some examples, a dielectric layer is on first and second sidewalls of a lower fin. The dielectric layer has a first upper end portion laterally adjacent to the first sidewall of the lower fin and a second upper end portion laterally adjacent to the second sidewall of the lower fin. An isolation material is laterally adjacent to the dielectric layer directly on the first and second sidewalls of the lower fin and a gate electrode is over a top of and laterally adjacent to sidewalls of an upper fin. The gate electrode is over the first and second upper end portions of the dielectric layer and the isolation material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: Walid M. HAFEZ, Chia-Hong JAN
  • Publication number: 20180151474
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing on-chip capacitance using through-body-vias (TBVs). In accordance with some embodiments, a TBV may be formed within a semiconductor layer, and a dielectric layer may be formed between the TBV and the surrounding semiconductor layer. The TBV may serve as one electrode (e.g., anode) of a TBV capacitor, and the dielectric layer may serve as the dielectric body of that TBV capacitor. In some embodiments, the semiconductor layer serves as the other electrode (e.g., cathode) of the TBV capacitor. To that end, in some embodiments, the entire semiconductor layer may comprise a low-resistivity material, whereas in some other embodiments, low-resistivity region(s) may be provided just along the sidewalls local to the TBV, for example, by selective doping in those location(s). In other embodiments, a conductive layer formed between the dielectric layer and the semiconductor layer serves as the other electrode (e.g., cathode) of the TBV capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: YI WEI CHEN, KINYIP PHOA, NIDHI NIDHI, JUI-YEN LIN, KUN-HUAN SHIH, XIAODONG YANG, WALID M. HAFEZ, CURTIS TSAI
  • Publication number: 20180145083
    Abstract: The controlled modification of an antifuse programming voltage is described. In one example, an antifuse circuit is formed on a substrate, including a gate area of the antifuse circuit. A molecule is implanted into the gate area to damage the structure of the gate area. Electrodes are formed over the gate areas to connect the antifuse circuit to other components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Xiaoghong TONG, Walid M. HAFEZ, Zhiyong MA, Peng BAI, Chia-Hong JAN, Zhanping CHEN
  • Patent number: 9972642
    Abstract: High voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners and methods of forming high voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners are described. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a first fin active region and a second fin active region disposed above a substrate. A first gate structure is disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the first fin active region. The first gate structure includes a first gate dielectric, a first gate electrode, and first spacers. The first gate dielectric is composed of a first dielectric layer disposed on the first fin active region and along sidewalls of the first spacers, and a second, different, dielectric layer disposed on the first dielectric layer and along sidewalls of the first spacers. The semiconductor structure also includes a second gate structure disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the second fin active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park, Chia-Hong Jan, Gopinath Bhimarasetti
  • Publication number: 20180130902
    Abstract: A vertical transistor is described that uses a through silicon via as a gate. In one example, the structure includes a substrate, a via in the substrate, the via being filled with a conductive material and having a dielectric liner, a deep well coupled to the via, a drain area coupled to the deep well having a drain contact, a source area between the drain area and the via having a source contact, and a gate contact over the via.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Xiaodong YANG, Jui-Yen LIN, Kinyip PHOA, Nidhi NIDHI, Yi Wei CHEN, Kun-Huan SHIH, Walid M. HAFEZ, Curtis TSAI
  • Patent number: 9947585
    Abstract: An embodiment includes an apparatus comprising: a non-planar transistor comprising a fin, the fin including a source region having a source region width and a source region height, a channel region having a channel region width and a channel region height, a drain region having a drain width and a drain height, and a gate dielectric formed on a sidewall of the channel region; wherein the apparatus includes at least one of (a) the channel region width being wider than the source region width, and (b) the gate dielectric including a first gate dielectric thickness at a first location and a second gate dielectric thickness at a second location, the first and second locations located at an equivalent height on the sidewall and the first and second gate dielectrics thicknesses being unequal to one another. Other embodiments are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Nidhi Nidhi, Chia-Hong Jan, Roman W. Olac-Vaw, Hsu-Yu Chang, Neville L. Dias, Walid M. Hafez, Rahul Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 9929090
    Abstract: Techniques and circuitry are disclosed for efficiently implementing programmable memory array circuit architectures, including both non-volatile and volatile memories. The memory circuitry employs an antifuse scheme that includes an array of 1 T bitcells, wherein each bitcell effectively contains one gate or transistor-like device that provides both an antifuse element and a selector device for that bitcell. In particular, the bitcell device has asymmetric trench-based source/drain contacts such that one contact forms a capacitor in conjunction with the spacer and gate metal, and the other contact forms a diode in conjunction with a doped diffusion area and the gate metal. The capacitor serves as the antifuse element of the bitcell, and can be programmed by breaking down the spacer. The diode effectively provides a Schottky junction that serves as a selector device which can eliminate program and read disturbs from bitcells sharing the same bitline/wordline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ting Chang, Chia-Hong Jan, Walid M. Hafez
  • Patent number: 9911815
    Abstract: Planar and non-planar field effect transistors with extended-drain structures, and techniques to fabricate such structures. In an embodiment, a field plate electrode is disposed over an extended-drain, with a field plate dielectric there between. The field plate is disposed farther from the transistor drain than the transistor gate. In a further embodiment, an extended-drain transistor has source and drain contact metal at approximately twice a pitch, of the field plate and the source and/or drain contact metal. In a further embodiment, an isolation dielectric distinct from the gate dielectric is disposed between the extended-drain and the field plate. In a further embodiment, the field plate may be directly coupled to one or more of the transistor gate electrode or a dummy gate electrode without requiring upper level interconnection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Nidhi Nidhi, Chia-Hong Jan, Walid M. Hafez
  • Patent number: 9899472
    Abstract: A dielectric and isolation lower fin material is described that is useful for fin-based electronics. In some examples, a dielectric layer is on first and second sidewalls of a lower fin. The dielectric layer has a first upper end portion laterally adjacent to the first sidewall of the lower fin and a second upper end portion laterally adjacent to the second sidewall of the lower fin. An isolation material is laterally adjacent to the dielectric layer directly on the first and second sidewalls of the lower fin and a gate electrode is over a top of and laterally adjacent to sidewalls of an upper fin. The gate electrode is over the first and second upper end portions of the dielectric layer and the isolation material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan
  • Publication number: 20180040637
    Abstract: High voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners and methods of forming high voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners are described. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a first fin active region and a second fin active region disposed above a substrate. A first gate structure is disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the first fin active region. The first gate structure includes a first gate dielectric, a first gate electrode, and first spacers. The first gate dielectric is composed of a first dielectric layer disposed on the first fin active region and along sidewalls of the first spacers, and a second, different, dielectric layer disposed on the first dielectric layer and along sidewalls of the first spacers. The semiconductor structure also includes a second gate structure disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the second fin active region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Walid M. HAFEZ, Jeng-Ya D. YEH, Curtis TSAI, Joodong PARK, Chia-Hong JAN, Gopinath BHIMARASETTI
  • Patent number: 9881927
    Abstract: CMOS-compatible polycide fuse structures and methods of fabricating CMOS-compatible polycide fuse structures are described. In an example, a semiconductor structure includes a substrate. A polycide fuse structure is disposed above the substrate and includes silicon and a metal. A metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor structure is disposed above the substrate and includes a metal gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Chia-Hong Jan, Walid M. Hafez, Joodong Park
  • Patent number: 9865695
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first device with a metal gate and a drain well that experiences a series resistance that drops a drain contact voltage from 10 V to 4-6 V at a junction between the drain well and a channel under the gate. The apparatus includes an interlayer dielectric layer (ILD0) disposed above and on the drain well and a salicide drain contact in the drain well. The apparatus also includes a subsequent device that is located in a region different from the first device that operates at a voltage lower than the first device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan, Anisur Rahman
  • Patent number: 9842944
    Abstract: A solid source-diffused junction is described for fin-based electronics. In one example, a fin is formed on a substrate. A glass of a first dopant type is deposited over the substrate and over a lower portion of the fin. A glass of a second dopant type is deposited over the substrate and the fin. The glass is annealed to drive the dopants into the fin and the substrate. The glass is removed and a first and a second contact are formed over the fin without contacting the lower portion of the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan
  • Patent number: 9806095
    Abstract: High voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners and methods of forming high voltage three-dimensional devices having dielectric liners are described. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a first fin active region and a second fin active region disposed above a substrate. A first gate structure is disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the first fin active region. The first gate structure includes a first gate dielectric, a first gate electrode, and first spacers. The first gate dielectric is composed of a first dielectric layer disposed on the first fin active region and along sidewalls of the first spacers, and a second, different, dielectric layer disposed on the first dielectric layer and along sidewalls of the first spacers. The semiconductor structure also includes a second gate structure disposed above a top surface of, and along sidewalls of, the second fin active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park, Chia-Hong Jan, Gopinath Bhimarasetti
  • Patent number: 9799668
    Abstract: Memory cells having isolated charge sites and methods of fabricating memory cells having isolated charge sites are described. In an example, a nonvolatile charge trap memory device includes a substrate having a channel region, a source region and a drain region. A gate stack is disposed above the substrate, over the channel region. The gate stack includes a tunnel dielectric layer disposed above the channel region, a first charge-trapping region and a second charge-trapping region. The regions are disposed above the tunnel dielectric layer and separated by a distance. The gate stack also includes an isolating dielectric layer disposed above the tunnel dielectric layer and between the first charge-trapping region and the second charge-trapping region. A gate dielectric layer is disposed above the first charge-trapping region, the second charge-trapping region and the isolating dielectric layer. A gate electrode is disposed above the gate dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ting Chang, Chia-Hong Jan, Walid M. Hafez
  • Patent number: 9786783
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for forming transistor architectures having extended recessed spacer and source/drain (S/D) regions. In some embodiments, a recess can be formed, for example, in the top of a fin of a fin-based field-effect transistor (finFET), such that the recess allows for forming extended recessed spacers and S/D regions in the finFET that are adjacent to the gate stack. In some instances, this configuration provides a higher resistance path in the top of the fin, which can reduce gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) in the finFET. In some embodiments, precise tuning of the onset of GIDL can be provided. Some embodiments may provide a reduction in junction leakage (Lb) and a simultaneous increase in threshold voltage (VT). The disclosed techniques can be implemented with planar and non-planar fin-based architectures and can be used in standard metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) and complementary MOS (CMOS) process flows, in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Joodong Park, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai
  • Patent number: 9780217
    Abstract: Non-planar semiconductor devices having self-aligned fins with top blocking layers and methods of fabricating non-planar semiconductor devices having self-aligned fins with top blocking layers are described. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor fin disposed above a semiconductor substrate and having a top surface. An isolation layer is disposed on either side of the semiconductor fin, and recessed below the top surface of the semiconductor fin to provide a protruding portion of the semiconductor fin. The protruding portion has sidewalls and the top surface. A gate blocking layer has a first portion disposed on at least a portion of the top surface of the semiconductor fin, and has a second portion disposed on at least a portion of the sidewalls of the semiconductor fin. The first portion of the gate blocking layer is continuous with, but thicker than, the second portion of the gate blocking layer. A gate stack is disposed on the first and second portions of the gate blocking layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Chia-Hong Jan, Walid M. Hafez, Joodong Park
  • Patent number: 9748252
    Abstract: Techniques for providing non-volatile antifuse memory elements and other antifuse links are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the antifuse memory elements are configured with non-planar topology such as FinFET topology. In some such embodiments, the fin topology can be manipulated and used to effectively promote lower breakdown voltage transistors, by creating enhanced-emission sites which are suitable for use in lower voltage non-volatile antifuse memory elements. In one example embodiment, a semiconductor antifuse device is provided that includes a non-planar diffusion area having a fin configured with a tapered portion, a dielectric isolation layer on the fin including the tapered portion, and a gate material on the dielectric isolation layer. The tapered portion of the fin may be formed, for instance, by oxidation, etching, and/or ablation, and in some cases includes a base region and a thinned region, and the thinned region is at least 50% thinner than the base region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan, Curtis Tsai, Joodong Park, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh
  • Patent number: 9741721
    Abstract: Low leakage non-planar access transistors for embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) and methods of fabricating low leakage non-planar access transistors for eDRAM are described. For example, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor fin disposed above a substrate and including a narrow fin region disposed between two wide fin regions. A gate electrode stack is disposed conformal with the narrow fin region of the semiconductor fin, the gate electrode stack including a gate electrode disposed on a gate dielectric layer. The gate dielectric layer includes a lower layer and an upper layer, the lower layer composed of an oxide of the semiconductor fin. A pair of source/drain regions is included, each of the source/drain regions disposed in a corresponding one of the wide fin regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Joodong Park, Gopinath Bhimarasetti, Rahul Ramaswamy, Chia-Hong Jan, Walid M. Hafez, Jeng-Ya D. Yeh, Curtis Tsai