Patents by Inventor Wen Liu

Wen Liu 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: 10522640
    Abstract: Gate structures and methods of forming the gate structures are described. In some embodiments, a method includes forming source/drain regions in a substrate, and forming a gate structure between the source/drain regions. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer over the substrate, a work function tuning layer over the gate dielectric layer, a first metal over the work function tuning layer, an adhesion layer over the first metal, and a second metal over the adhesion layer. In some embodiments, the adhesion layer can include an alloy of the first and second metals, and may be formed by annealing the first and second metals. In other embodiments, the adhesion layer can include an oxide of at least one of the first and/or second metal, and may be formed at least in part by exposing the first metal to an oxygen-containing plasma or to a natural environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shiu-Ko JangJian, Chi-Wen Liu, Chih-Nan Wu, Chun Che Lin
  • Patent number: 10521945
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for modeling text-to-articulatory movement conversion is provided. In the method, text features are generated for a plurality of texts, wherein the text feature comprises a phoneme. Articulatory features are determined for the plurality of texts from a plurality of audio signals and a plurality of visual signals, wherein the audio signals record speeches of the plurality of texts, the visual signals record three-dimensional images of an articulator when speaking the plurality of texts, and the articulatory features indicate articulatory positions of the articulator in the speeches. A text-to-articulatory movement model is established with the text features as inputs and the articulatory features as outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wen Liu, Qin Shi, Shi Lei Zhang, Peng Cheng Zhu
  • Publication number: 20190393111
    Abstract: A power device package structure including a first substrate, a second substrate, at least one power device, and a package is provided. A heat conductivity of the first substrate is greater than 200 Wm?1K?1. The power device is disposed on the first substrate, and the second substrate is disposed under the first substrate. A heat capacity of the second substrate is greater than that of the first substrate. The package encapsulates the first substrate, the second substrate, and the power device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: ACTRON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hsin-Chang Tsai, Ching-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 10507427
    Abstract: A flue ozone distributor applied in a low-temperature oxidation denitrification technology and an arrangement manner thereof is disclosed. The flue ozone distributor comprises a distribution main pipe, multiple distribution branch pipes, Venturi distributors and delta wings. The distribution branch pipes are led out from the distribution main pipe as parallel branches. The Venturi distributors are arranged with an equal space on the distribution branch pipes. The delta wings are arranged on one diffusion segment side of the Venturi distributors. The flue ozone distributor is arranged in the flue. The technology is used in the field of denitrification for flue gas of an industrial boiler/kiln by a low-temperature ozone oxidation method. The ozone-injecting direction is consistent with a flow direction of the flue gas. A soot deposit congestion problem does not exist. A turbulent flow behavior of the flue gas and ozone is strengthened. The oxidation efficiency is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignees: INSTITUTE OF PROCESS ENGINEERING, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, BEIJING ZSTC ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tingyu Zhu, Wenqing Xu, Ruizhuang Zhao, Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 10510614
    Abstract: A semiconductor arrangement and method of forming the same are described. A semiconductor arrangement includes a third metal connect in contact with a first metal connect in a first active region and a second metal connect in a second active region, and over a shallow trench isolation region located between the first active region and a second active region. A method of forming the semiconductor arrangement includes forming a first opening over the first metal connect, the STI region, and the second metal connect, and forming the third metal connect in the first opening. Forming the third metal connect over the first metal connect and the second metal connect mitigates RC coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: I-Wen Wu, Hsien-Cheng Wang, Mei-Yun Wang, Shih-Wen Liu, Chao-Hsun Wang, Yun Lee
  • Patent number: 10510690
    Abstract: A semiconductor device structure and method for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate and a conductive pad formed on the substrate. The semiconductor device structure includes a protection layer formed over the conductive pad and a post-passivation interconnect (PPI) structure formed at least in the protection layer. The PPI structure is electrically connected to the conductive pad. The semiconductor device structure also includes a first moisture-resistant layer formed over the protection layer, and the protection layer and the first moisture-resistant layer are made of different materials. The semiconductor device structure further includes an under bump metallurgy (UBM) layer formed over the first moisture-resistant layer and connected to the PPI structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin-Puu Jeng, Hsien-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 10505052
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first film disposed over a semiconductor substrate, the first film comprising a first transition metal dichalcogenide; a second film disposed over the first film, the second film comprising a second transition metal dichalcogenide different from the first transition metal dichalcogenide; source and drain features formed over the second film; a first gate stack formed over the second film and interposed between the source and drain features; and a second gate stack formed over the semiconductor substrate opposite from the first gate stack such that the semiconductor substrate is between the first and second gate stacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Shih-Yen Lin, Chi-Wen Liu, Chong-Rong Wu, Xiang-Rui Chang
  • Patent number: 10504787
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first insulating structure, a second insulating structure, at least one first active semiconductor fin, and at least one second active semiconductor fin. The first insulating structure and the second insulating structure are disposed on the substrate. The first active semiconductor fin is disposed on the substrate and has a protruding portion protruding from the first insulating structure. The second active semiconductor fin is disposed on the substrate and has a protruding portion protruding from the second insulating structure. The protruding portion of the first active semiconductor fin and the protruding portion of the second active semiconductor fin have different heights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Sheng Li, Hsin-Chieh Huang, Chi-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 10505022
    Abstract: Devices and structures that include a gate spacer having a gap or void are described along with methods of forming such devices and structures. In accordance with some embodiments, a structure includes a substrate, a gate stack over the substrate, a contact over the substrate, and a spacer disposed laterally between the gate stack and the contact. The spacer includes a first dielectric sidewall portion and a second dielectric sidewall portion. A void is disposed between the first dielectric sidewall portion and the second dielectric sidewall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo-Cheng Chiang, Ching-Wei Tsai, Chi-Wen Liu, Ying-Keung Leung
  • Patent number: 10504907
    Abstract: A method for forming an antifuse on a substrate is provided, which comprises: forming a first conductive material on the substrate; placing the first conductive material in an electrolytic solution; performing anodic oxidation on the first conductive material to form a nanowire made of the first conductive material and surrounded by a first dielectric material formed during the anodic oxidation and to form the antifuse on the nanowire; and forming a second conductive material on the antifuse to sandwich the antifuse between the first conductive material and the second conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Jenn-Gwo Hwu, Wei-Cheng Tian, Samuel C. Pan, Chao-Hsiung Wang, Chi-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 10504770
    Abstract: A method for forming FinFETs comprises forming a plurality of first fins and a plurality of second fins over a substrate and embedded in isolation regions, depositing a first photoresist layer over the substrate, removing the first photoresist layer over an n-type region, applying a first ion implantation process to the first isolation regions, wherein dopants with a first polarity type are implanted in the first isolation regions, depositing a second photoresist layer over the substrate, removing the second photoresist layer over a p-type region, applying a second ion implantation process to the second isolation regions, wherein dopants with a second polarity type are implanted in the second isolation regions, applying an annealing process to the isolation regions and recessing the first isolation regions and the second isolation regions through an etching process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Lien Huang, Chi-Kang Liu, Chi-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 10505001
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, at least one semiconductor fin, and at least one epitaxy structure. The semiconductor fin is present on the substrate. The semiconductor fin has at least one recess thereon. The epitaxy structure is present in the recess of the semiconductor fin. The epitaxy structure includes a topmost portion, a first portion and a second portion arranged along a direction from the semiconductor fin to the substrate. The first portion has a germanium atomic percentage higher than a germanium atomic percentage of the topmost portion and a germanium atomic percentage of the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-Ming Chang, Chi-Wen Liu, Cheng-Chien Li, Hsin-Chieh Huang
  • Publication number: 20190373422
    Abstract: A call record synchronization method includes detecting, by a first terminal, an input operation for requesting to display a call record. The method further includes, after the first terminal detects the input operation, displaying, by the first terminal, a merged call record, where the merged call record is a call record obtained after merging of a call record of the first terminal and a call record of a second terminal. The merged call record includes a device identifier of the first terminal and/or a device identifier of the second terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Tao Li, Feng Li, Chenjian Zhao, Shaolong Wang, Wen Liu, Chunlai Feng, Xiaolin Li, Xutao Gao, Wenhua Li
  • Publication number: 20190364728
    Abstract: A trimmer head having at least two pivoting line holders for holding multiple folded strips of trimming line is presented wherein said pivoting line holders are retained within said housing between said housing and said cover and extend upward through apertures in said cover, said line holders being capable of movement around a vertical axis of rotation, at least three embodiments are disclosed which provide a rounded landing for supporting the inner radius of a folded strip of trimming line, the rounded geometry of the landing prevents line stress and breakage, the various embodiments include a pivot post having two parallel straight through holes with a rounded vertical wall between the through holes, a single open passageway having a center metal post, and a single open passageway having a series of at least two metal pins through the center of the passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: David B. Skinner, Brian Searfoss, Wen Liu, Lin Wang, Jack Yang
  • Publication number: 20190362351
    Abstract: Examples described herein generally relate to a computer device including a memory, and at least one processor configured to process a transaction. The computer device receives customer transaction information. The computer device evaluates the customer transaction information to determine a risk score for the transaction. The computer device assigns the transaction, based on the risk score, to one of a plurality of stratums including at least a first stratum and a second stratum. The computer device selects a merchant identifier (MID) from at least a first MID associated with the first stratum and a second MID associated with the second stratum based on at least the assigned stratum and a target chargeback rate for at least one of the first MID or the second MID. The computer device transmits the transaction information and the selected MID to an issuing bank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Adam Feldman REINHARDT, Yung-Wen LIU, Shoou-Jiun WANG, Jayaram N.M. NANDURI
  • Publication number: 20190363191
    Abstract: A fin field effect transistor (FinFET), and a method of forming, is provided. The FinFET has a fin having one or more semiconductor layers epitaxially grown on a substrate. A first passivation layer is formed over the fins, and isolation regions are formed between the fins. An upper portion of the fins are reshaped and a second passivation layer is formed over the reshaped portion. Thereafter, a gate structure may be formed over the fins and source/drain regions may be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Yen-Yu Chen, Chi-Yuan Shih, Chi-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 10489690
    Abstract: Techniques are described that facilitate automatically distinguishing between different expressions of a same or similar emotion. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented is provided that comprises partitioning, by a device operatively coupled to a processor, a data set comprising facial expression data into different clusters of the facial expression data based on one or more distinguishing features respectively associated with the different clusters, wherein the facial expression data reflects facial expressions respectively expressed by people. The computer-implemented method can further comprise performing, by the device, a multi-task learning process to determine a final number of the different clusters for the data set using a multi-task learning process that is dependent on an output of an emotion classification model that classifies emotion types respectively associated with the facial expressions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Feng Jin, Wen Liu, Yong Qin, Qin Shi, Peng Wang, Shi Lei Zhang
  • Patent number: 10490654
    Abstract: Tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) and associated methods of fabrication are disclosed herein. An exemplary TFET includes a protrusion that extends vertically from a substrate. A drain region is in a bottommost portion of the protrusion. A source region is in a topmost portion of the protrusion. A gate stack that wraps a middle portion of the protrusion. The gate stack further wraps around a portion of the source region and a portion of the drain region. Spacers are along a portion of the topmost portion of the protrusion. The TFET further includes a drain contact coupled to the drain region, a gate contact coupled to the gate stack, and a source contact coupled to the source region. The source contact has a width that is greater than a width of the source region. The source contact is disposed on the source region and a portion of the spacers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Harry-Hak-Lay Chuang, Cheng-Cheng Kuo, Chi-Wen Liu, Ming Zhu
  • Publication number: 20190355850
    Abstract: A device includes isolation regions extending into a semiconductor substrate, with a substrate strip between opposite portions of the isolation regions having a first width. A source/drain region has a portion overlapping the substrate strip, wherein an upper portion of the source/drain region has a second width greater than the first width. The upper portion of the source/drain region has substantially vertical sidewalls. A source/drain silicide region has inner sidewalls contacting the vertical sidewalls of the source/drain region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Kuo-Cheng Chiang, Ching-Wei Tsai, Chi-Wen Liu, Chih-Hao Wang, Ying-Keung Leung
  • Publication number: 20190354554
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes defining an input data space, defining a directed graph (DG) connecting a plurality of transformation blocks to represent an experiment workflow, wherein at least one of the plurality of transformation blocks includes logic to dynamically modify the DG during execution of the experiment workflow, formatting the DG and the input data space into a data structure such that the data structure is interpretable by a plurality of different computation platforms, scheduling a distributed computation platform selected from the plurality of different computation platforms to execute the experiment workflow according to the input data space and the DG, and imperatively programming computing nodes of the distributed computation platform to execute the experiment workflow based on the DG if at least one of the transformation blocks dynamically modifies the DG during the execution of the experiment workflow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Szymon Piechowicz, Barak Reuven Naveh, Annie Hsin-Wen Liu, Ashish Gupta