Patents by Inventor Whitney L. West
Whitney L. West 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).
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Patent number: 10862030Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the first conductive material. The methods enable formation of silver-containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2019Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha
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Publication number: 20190363253Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the first conductive material. The methods enable formation of silver-containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha
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Patent number: 10411186Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the first conductive material. The methods enable formation of silver-containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha
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Publication number: 20180114901Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the first conductive material. The methods enable formation of silver-containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2017Publication date: April 26, 2018Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha
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Patent number: 9865812Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the first conductive material. The methods enable formation of silver-containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2016Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha
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Publication number: 20170092855Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the first conductive material. The methods enable formation of silver containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha
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Patent number: 9520558Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the first conductive material. The methods enable formation of silver containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2013Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha
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Publication number: 20130320291Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the first conductive material. The methods enable formation of silver containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2013Publication date: December 5, 2013Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha
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Patent number: 8524599Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the first conductive material. The methods enable formation of silver containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2011Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha
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Publication number: 20120235106Abstract: Methods of forming conductive elements, such as interconnects and electrodes, for semiconductor structures and memory cells. The methods include forming a first conductive material and a second conductive material comprising silver in a portion of at least one opening and performing a polishing process to fill the at least one opening with at least one of the first and second conductive materials. An annealing process may be performed to form a mixture or an alloy of the silver and the material. The methods enable formation of silver containing conductive elements having reduced dimensions (e.g., less than about 20 nm). The resulting conductive elements have a desirable resistivity. The methods may be used, for example, to form interconnects for electrically connecting active devices and to form electrodes for memory cells. A semiconductor structure and a memory cell including such a conductive structure are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2011Publication date: September 20, 2012Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Scott E. Sills, Whitney L. West, Rob B. Goodwin, Nishant Sinha