Patents by Inventor Xin Miao

Xin Miao 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: 11075273
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a method for fabricating a semiconductor device and the resulting structure. A stack of alternating nanosheets of sacrificial semiconductor material nanosheets and semiconductor material nanosheets located on a surface of a substrate are provided, wherein a sacrificial gate structure and a dielectric spacer material layer straddle over the nanosheet stack. End portions of each of the sacrificial semiconductor material nanosheets are recessed. A dielectric spacer is formed within each recess. Doped semiconductor portions are formed on the physically exposed sidewalls of each semiconductor material nanosheet and on the surface of the substrate. The semiconductor structure is thermally annealed. The sacrificial gate, each sacrificial semiconductor material nanosheet, and the dielectric spacer are each removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Reznicek, Xin Miao, Choonghyun Lee, Jingyun Zhang
  • Patent number: 11069775
    Abstract: Field effect transistors and methods of forming the same include forming a stack of nanosheets of alternating layers of channel material and sacrificial material. A layer of sacrificial material forms a top layer of the stack. A dummy gate is formed over the stack. Stack material outside of a region covered by the dummy gate is removed. The sacrificial material is etched to form recesses in the sacrificial material layers. Spacers are formed in the recesses in the sacrificial material layers. At least one pair of spacers is formed in recesses above an uppermost layer of channel material. The dummy gates are etched away. The top layer of sacrificial material protects an uppermost layer of channel material from damage from the anisotropic etch. The sacrificial material is etched away to expose the layers of channel material. A gate stack is formed over, around, and between the layers of channel material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Michael A. Guillorn, Isaac Lauer, Xin Miao
  • Patent number: 11069800
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a single electron transistor (SET) having an island region, a bottom source/drain region under the island region, and a top source/drain region over the island region, a first gap between the bottom source/drain region and the island region, a second gap between the top source/drain region and the island region, and a gate structure on a side of the island region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Xin Miao, Wenyu Xu, Chen Zhang
  • Patent number: 11062965
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclose a method for fabricating vertical transistors. In one embodiment, a structure is formed comprising at least a first substrate, an insulator layer on the substrate, a first doped layer on the insulator layer, at least one fin structure in contact with the doped layer, a dielectric layer surrounding a portion of the fin structure, a gate layer on the dielectric layer, a second doped layer in contact with the fin structure, a first contact area in contact with the second doped layer, and at least a first interconnect in contact with the first contact area. The structure is flipped bonded to a second substrate. The first substrate and the insulator layer are removed to expose the first doped layer. A second contact area is formed in contact with the first doped layer. At least a second interconnect is formed in contact with the second contact area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Xin Miao, Wenyu Xu, Chen Zhang
  • Patent number: 11062959
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a first nanosheet transistor device and a second nanosheet transistor device formed on a substrate. The first nanosheet transistor includes a first inner spacer having a first inner spacer thickness, along with a first gate dielectric having a first gate dielectric thickness. The second nanosheet transistor includes a second inner spacer having a second inner spacer thickness, along with a second gate dielectric having a second gate dielectric thickness. The first inner spacer thickness is greater than the second inner spacer thickness. The first gate dielectric thickness is greater than the second gate dielectric thickness. The first inner spacer thickness combined with the first gate dielectric thickness defines a first combined thickness. The second inner spacer thickness combined with the second gate dielectric thickness defines a second combined thickness. The first combined thickness is substantially equal to the second combined thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Xin Miao, Wenyu Xu, Chen Zhang
  • Patent number: 11063134
    Abstract: Devices and methods for a vertical field effect transistor (VTFET) semiconductor device include recessing a gate dielectric and a gate conductor of a vertical gate structure below a top of a vertical fin to form openings between the top of the vertical fin and an etch stop layer, the top of the vertical fin being opposite to a substrate at a bottom of the vertical fin. A spacer material is deposited in the openings to form a spacer corresponding to each of the openings. Each spacer is recessed below the top of the vertical fin. A top spacer is selectively deposited in each of the openings to line the etch stop layer and the spacer such that the top of the vertical fin is exposed above the top spacer and the spacer is covered by the top spacer. A source/drain region is formed on the top of the vertical fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jingyun Zhang, Xin Miao, Choonghyun Lee, Alexander Reznicek
  • Publication number: 20210210634
    Abstract: A method of forming a vertical transport field-effect transistor (VFET) is provided. The method includes forming vertical fin channels by etching part way through a substrate. The method further includes forming a bottom source/drain electrode partially into the substrate and beneath the vertical fin channels. A gate dielectric layer is then formed on the vertical fin channels. A gate conductor layer is then formed on the gate dielectric layer. A height of the gate conductor layer is less than a height of the vertical fin channels. The method further includes forming a spacer layer on a top surface of the gate conductor layer. The method also includes forming a top source/drain electrode on a top surface of the vertical fin channels. A gap exists between the top source/drain electrode and the spacer layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Choonghyun Lee, Alexander Reznicek, Xin Miao, Richard Glen Southwick, III
  • Publication number: 20210210637
    Abstract: A method is presented for reducing sagging effects in nanosheet devices. The method includes forming at least two nanosheet structures over a substrate, wherein each nanosheet structure includes alternating layers of a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material, depositing a dielectric layer over the at least two nanosheet structures, depositing a dummy gate over the dielectric layer, etching the first semiconductor material to create voids filled with inner spacers, removing the dummy gate and the dielectric layer such that a supporting dielectric section remains between the at least two nanosheet structures, and removing the etched first semiconductor material such that a supporting structure is defined including the supporting dielectric section and the second semiconductor material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Jingyun Zhang, Xin Miao, Ruilong Xie, Alexander Reznicek
  • Publication number: 20210210489
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes an n-doped field effect transistor (nFET) section, a p-doped field effect transistor (pFET) section and an insulator pillar. The nFET section includes nFET nanosheets and nFET source or drain (S/D) regions partially surrounding the nFET nanosheets. The pFET section includes pFET nanosheets and pFET S/D regions partially surrounding the pFET nanosheets. The insulator pillar is interposed between the nFET S/D regions and the pFET S/D regions to form a fork-sheet structure with the nFET nanosheets and the pFET nanosheets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Jingyun Zhang, Ruilong Xie, Xin Miao, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 11056537
    Abstract: A middle-of-line (MOL) structure is provided and includes device and resistive memory (RM) regions. The device region includes trench silicide (TS) metallization, a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) portion and a first dielectric cap portion disposed over the TS metallization and the first ILD portion. The RM region includes a second dielectric cap portion, a second ILD portion and an RM resistor interposed between the second dielectric cap portion and the second ILD portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xin Miao, Richard A. Conti, Ruilong Xie, Kangguo Cheng
  • Publication number: 20210202325
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a plurality of fins on a semiconductor substrate, the plurality of fins including an alternating sequence of a first nanosheet made of epitaxially grown silicon and a second nanosheet made of epitaxially grown silicon germanium, and a shallow trench isolation region within the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the plurality of fins. The shallow trench isolation region including a recess within the substrate filled with a first liner, a second liner directly above the first liner, a third liner directly above the second liner, and a dielectric material directly above the third liner. The first liner is made of a first oxide material, the third liner is made of a nitride material, and the second liner is made of a second oxide material that creates a dipole effect for neutralizing positive charges within the third liner and positive charges between the third liner and the first liner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Choonghyun Lee, Xin Miao, Alexander Reznicek, Jingyun Zhang
  • Patent number: 11049979
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and method of forming the same including a plurality of vertically aligned long channel semiconductor channel layers disposed above a substrate layer, a plurality of vertically aligned short channel semiconductor channel layers disposed above a substrate layer, and a plurality of tri-layer dielectric spacers disposed between the vertically aligned long channel semiconductor layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Xin Miao, Ruilong Xie, Jingyun Zhang, Choonghyun Lee
  • Patent number: 11049935
    Abstract: Methods are provided to construct field-effect transistors comprising low-resistance metallic gate structures. A field-effect transistor includes a nanosheet stack and a metal gate which covers a gate region of the nanosheet stack. The nanosheet stack includes nanosheet channel layers and an etch stop layer disposed above an upper nanosheet channel layer. The metal gate includes a work function metal which encapsulates the nanosheet channel layers, and a gate electrode disposed above and in contact with the work function metal. An upper surface of the work function metal is recessed to be substantially coplanar with the etch stop layer. The gate electrode has a resistivity which is less than a resistivity of the work function metal. The etch stop layer protects the portion of the work function metal disposed between the etch stop layer and the upper nanosheet channel layer from being etched when recessing the work function metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Chen Zhang, Wenyu Xu, Xin Miao
  • Publication number: 20210193797
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided that includes nanosheet containing devices having a bottom dielectric isolation structure and high quality source/drain (S/D) structures. In the present application, the bottom dielectric isolation structure is formed after the S/D structures to ensure high quality epitaxy for both long channel and short channel nanosheet containing devices. The bottom dielectric isolation structure of the present application has a first portion that is located beneath each nanosheet stack and a second portion that is located in a single diffusion break point trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Ruilong Xie, Xin Miao, Takashi Ando, Jingyun Zhang
  • Publication number: 20210193829
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a method for fabricating a semiconductor device and the resulting structure. A nanosheet stack of alternating nanosheets of a sacrificial semiconductor material and a semiconductor channel material located on a substrate is provided. An additional dielectric spacer is formed on the dielectric spacer and within a gap. Dielectric spacer is removed. An epitaxial oxide layer is formed on the re-exposed recessed surfaces of the substrate. Germanium is formed on the epitaxial oxide layer. Sidewalls of each semiconductor channel material nanosheet are physically exposed. A source/drain is formed on a surface of the germanium. ILD material is formed above each source/drain and above an adjacent region. Portions of ILD material are removed such that sidewalls of the source/drain and germanium are exposed. The germanium is removed. A contact region is formed that wraps around the source/drain region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Alexander Reznicek, Xin Miao, Choonghyun Lee, Jingyun Zhang
  • Publication number: 20210184002
    Abstract: Forming a fin, where the fin includes a nanowire stack on a semiconductor substrate, where the nanowire stack includes a plurality of silicon layers and a plurality of silicon germanium layers stacked one on top of the other in an alternating fashion, removing a portion of the fin to form an opening and expose vertical sidewalls of the plurality of silicon layers and the plurality of silicon germanium layer, and epitaxially growing a source drain region/structure in the opening from the exposed vertical sidewalls of the plurality of silicon layers and the plurality of silicon germanium layers, where the source drain region/structure substantially fills the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Heng Wu, Chen Zhang, Kangguo Cheng, Xin Miao, Lan Yu
  • Patent number: 11038015
    Abstract: Methods are provided to construct field-effect transistors comprising low-resistance metallic gate structures. A field-effect transistor includes a nanosheet stack and a metal gate which covers a gate region of the nanosheet stack. The nanosheet stack includes nanosheet channel layers and an etch stop layer disposed above an upper nanosheet channel layer. The metal gate includes a work function metal which encapsulates the nanosheet channel layers, and a gate electrode disposed above and in contact with the work function metal. An upper surface of the work function metal is recessed to be substantially coplanar with the etch stop layer. The gate electrode has a resistivity which is less than a resistivity of the work function metal. The etch stop layer protects the portion of the work function metal disposed between the etch stop layer and the upper nanosheet channel layer from being etched when recessing the work function metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Chen Zhang, Wenyu Xu, Xin Miao
  • Patent number: 11024738
    Abstract: Semiconductor device structures and techniques are provided for measuring contact resistance. A semiconductor device is disclosed including a first source/drain region and a contact disposed on the first source/drain region and configured to supply energy to the semiconductor device. A fin extends between the first source/drain region and a second source/drain region of the semiconductor device. A first contact material layer is disposed on the second source/drain region and a first active drain contact is disposed on the first contact material layer. A first sensor drain contact is also disposed on the first contact material layer. A second contact material layer is disposed on the second source/drain region and a second active drain contact is disposed on the second contact material layer. A third contact material layer is disposed on the second source/drain region and a second sensor drain contact is disposed on the third contact material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zuoguang Liu, Richard Glen Southwick, III, Xin Miao, Chun Wing Yeung
  • Publication number: 20210159409
    Abstract: Metal-assisted chemical etching is employed to form a three-dimensional (3D) resistive random access memory (ReRAM) in which the etching aspect ratio limit is extended and the top trench and bottom trench CD uniformity is improved. The 3D ReRAM includes a metal catalyst located between a bitline electrode and a selector device. Further, the 3D ReRAM includes vertically stacked and spaced apart replacement wordline electrodes that are located adjacent to the bitline electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: Xin Miao, Kangguo Cheng, Wenyu Xu, Chen Zhang
  • Patent number: 11017999
    Abstract: A method of a forming semiconductor fin structures that includes forming a plurality of fin structures with a first etch to a first depth in a substrate. The plurality of fin structures have a first width to the first depth. A spacer is formed on sidewalls of the plurality of fin structures. A second etch step can then extend the plurality of fin structures to a second depth with a second etch. The plurality of fin structures have a second width greater than the first width at the second depth portion. At least a portion of the trench separating adjacent fin structures may then be filled with a dielectric formed by an oxidation process. The portion of the fin structures extending above the dielectric fill is the active region of the fin structures which has a uniform height for all of the fin structure in the plurality of fin structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Juntao Li, Xin Miao