Patents by Inventor Zhiqiang Wei

Zhiqiang Wei 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: 12237414
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate has a top surface and includes a semiconductor element. Moreover, the semiconductor substrate has a fin structure formed thereon. The method also includes recessing the fin structure to form source/drain trenches, forming a first dielectric layer over the recessed fin structure in the source/drain trenches, implanting a dopant element into a portion of the fin structure beneath a bottom surface of the source/drain trenches to form an amorphous semiconductor layer, forming a second dielectric layer over the recessed fin structure in the source/drain trenches, annealing the semiconductor substrate, and removing the first and second dielectric layers. After the annealing and the removing steps, the method further includes further recessing the recessed fin structure to provide a top surface. Additionally, the method includes forming an epitaxial layer from and on the top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDCUTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chih-Ching Wang, Wen-Yuan Chen, Wen-Hsing Hsieh, Kuan-Lun Cheng, Chung-Wei Wu, Zhiqiang Wu
  • Patent number: 12218214
    Abstract: Source/drain silicide that improves performance and methods for fabricating such are disclosed herein. An exemplary device includes a first channel layer disposed over a substrate, a second channel layer disposed over the first channel layer, and a gate stack that surrounds the first channel layer and the second channel layer. A source/drain feature disposed adjacent the first channel layer, second channel layer, and gate stack. The source/drain feature is disposed over first facets of the first channel layer and second facets of the second channel layer. The first facets and the second facets have a (111) crystallographic orientation. An inner spacer disposed between the gate stack and the source/drain feature and between the first channel layer and the second channel layer. A silicide feature is disposed over the source/drain feature where the silicide feature extends into the source/drain feature towards the substrate to a depth of the first channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chih-Ching Wang, Chung-I Yang, Jon-Hsu Ho, Wen-Hsing Hsieh, Chung-Wei Wu, Zhiqiang Wu
  • Publication number: 20240268125
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a nonvolatile memory device including a plurality of first conductive lines extending along a first direction; first and second plurality of second conductive lines extending along a second direction; an array of active regions, each active region having an elongated shape directed along a third direction substantially bisecting an angle formed between the first and second directions and including first and second drains formed at opposite ends thereof; and an array of first memory elements and an array of second memory elements formed at different levels, each first memory element and each second memory element being electrically connected to a respective first drain and a respective second drain, respectively. The first and second plurality of second conductive lines are electrically connected to the array of first memory elements and the array of second memory elements along the second direction, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wei, Zihui Wang, Ebrahim Abedifard, Yiming Huai
  • Patent number: 11950519
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory cell includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode having a conductive material, a resistive layer interposed between the bottom electrode and the top electrode, and side portions covering sides of the top electrode and the resistive layer. The side portions contain an oxide of the conductive material. The non-volatile memory cell further includes a contact wire disposed on the top electrode. A width of the contact wire is less than a width between lateral outer surfaces of the side portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Hefei Reliance Memory Limited
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wei, Zhichao Lu
  • Patent number: 11933752
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes: a gas-sensitive body layer disposed above a substrate and including a metal oxide layer; a first electrode on the gas-sensitive body layer; and a second electrode on the gas-sensitive body layer, being apart from the first electrode by a gap. The gas-sensitive body layer has a resistance change characteristic that reversibly transitions to a high-resistance state and a low-resistance state on basis of a voltage applied across the first electrode and the second electrode. At least a part of the gas-sensitive body layer is exposed to the gap. The gas-sensitive body layer has a resistance that decreases when gas containing a hydrogen atom is in contact with the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Satoru Fujii, Zhiqiang Wei, Kazunari Homma, Shinichi Yoneda, Yasuhisa Naito, Hisashi Shima, Hiroyuki Akinaga
  • Publication number: 20240015986
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a memory cell including first and second unidirectional selectors coupled in parallel to a nonvolatile memory element. Each of the first and second unidirectional selectors includes first, second, and third electrode layers; a first insulator layer interposed between the first and second electrode layers; and a second insulator layer interposed between the second and third electrode layers. The first insulator layer of the first unidirectional selector includes therein a permanent conductive path and the second insulator layer of the first unidirectional selector is operable to form therein a volatile conductive path upon application of a potential across the first unidirectional selector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wei, Zihui Wang
  • Patent number: 11848039
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory cell including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element and a two-terminal bidirectional selector coupled in series between two conductive lines. The MTJ memory element includes a magnetic free layer; a magnetic reference layer; and an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween. The two-terminal bidirectional selector includes a bottom electrode; a top electrode; a load-resistance layer interposed between the bottom and top electrodes and comprising a first tantalum oxide; a first volatile switching layer interposed between the bottom and top electrodes and comprising a metal dopant and a second tantalum oxide that has a higher oxygen content than the first tantalum oxide; and a second volatile switching layer in contact with the first volatile switching layer and comprising a third tantalum oxide that has a higher oxygen content than the first tantalum oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Avalanche Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wei, Kimihiro Satoh, Woojin Kim, Zihui Wang
  • Publication number: 20230400301
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a tropical instability wave early warning method based on temporal-spatial cross-scale attention fusion, including performing cross-scale spatial map fusion on the multi-scale feature maps by a bilateral local attention mechanism, calculating a prediction loss by the global feature description map, and combining the prediction loss and the regularization loss for optimization training of neural networks; predicting a sea surface temperature at a moment T based on the optimally trained neural networks, selecting data at K moments before the moment T and inputting the data into the optimally trained neural networks, outputting a predicted value of tropical instability waves by the optimally trained neural networks, and drawing a temporal-spatial image of the tropical instability waves by associating the predicted value with coordinates, so as to achieve early warning of the tropical instability waves. The device includes a processor and a memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Dan SONG, Zhenghao FANG, Anan LIU, Wenhui LI, Zhiqiang WEI, Jie NIE, Wensheng ZHANG, Zhengya SUN
  • Publication number: 20230393304
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an El Nino extreme weather warning method based on incremental learning, comprising: through supervised representation learning, selectively constraining, by a multi-scale feature frequency domain distillation technology, drift of low-frequency components of the multi-scale features based on incremental training, and memorizing knowledge learned by the parallel convolutional neural networks in old tasks; adaptively learning different fusion parameters according to different time spans of the input multi-scale data by using a multi-scale feature adaptive fusion technology, so as to enhance the ability to learn new tasks; and outputting a Nino3.4 index reflecting a change rule of El Nino through fully connected layers according to the adaptively fused features, establishing a mapping function of an extreme rainfall probability r based on the Nino3.4 index, and in response to predicting that the value r goes beyond a threshold value k.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Anan LIU, Haochun LU, Wenhui LI, Dan SONG, Zhiqiang WEI, Jie NIE, Wensheng ZHANG, Zhengya SUN
  • Patent number: 11788999
    Abstract: A gas monitoring system includes at least one sensor device that detects gas and outputs a detection result; and a gateway that receives the detection result. The at least one sensor device includes a sensor module having a gas sensor that detects gas; an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter that processes the detection result outputted from the gas sensor; a communication module that communicates with the sensor module and transmits information processed by the A/D converter exteriorly of the at least one sensor device; a power source that is an electric power source of the sensor module; and a power source that is an electric power source of the communication module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wei, Shinichi Yoneda, Ryoichi Suzuki, Shunsaku Muraoka
  • Patent number: 11541737
    Abstract: Provided is a gas detection device that includes a gas sensor, a power supply circuit that applies voltage to the gas sensor, and a control circuit that determines whether a leak of gas is present. The power supply circuit includes a reset power source that generates a first voltage, and a detection power source that generates a detection voltage for measuring resistance of a metal-oxide layer of the gas sensor. When a value of a current flowing through the metal-oxide layer is a predetermined value ITH or greater, the reset power source applies the first voltage to the gas sensor to perform a reset of resetting the metal-oxide layer of the gas sensor to a high-resistance state, and the control circuit determines that a leak of gas is present, depending on a state in which the reset is performed after the reset is performed for the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Shunsaku Muraoka, Kazunari Homma, Koji Katayama, Zhiqiang Wei
  • Patent number: 11538857
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory cell including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element and a two-terminal bidirectional selector coupled in series between two conductive lines. The MTJ memory element includes a magnetic free layer, a magnetic reference layer, and an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween. The two-terminal bidirectional selector includes bottom and top electrodes, first and third volatile switching layers interposed between the bottom and top electrodes, and a second volatile switching layer interposed between the first and third volatile switching layers. The bottom and top electrodes each independently include one of titanium nitride or iridium. The first and third volatile switching layers each include tantalum oxide and silver. The second volatile switching layer includes hafnium oxide and has a higher electrical resistance than the first and third volatile switching layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Avalanche Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wei, Hongxin Yang
  • Publication number: 20220383920
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory cell including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element and a two-terminal bidirectional selector coupled in series between two conductive lines. The MTJ memory element includes a magnetic free layer; a magnetic reference layer; and an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween. The two-terminal bidirectional selector includes a bottom electrode; a top electrode; a load-resistance layer interposed between the bottom and top electrodes and comprising a first tantalum oxide; a first volatile switching layer interposed between the bottom and top electrodes and comprising a metal dopant and a second tantalum oxide that has a higher oxygen content than the first tantalum oxide; and a second volatile switching layer in contact with the first volatile switching layer and comprising a third tantalum oxide that has a higher oxygen content than the first tantalum oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wei, Kimihiro Satoh, Woojin Kim, Zihui Wang
  • Publication number: 20220352255
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory cell including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element and a two-terminal bidirectional selector coupled in series between two conductive lines. The MTJ memory element includes a magnetic free layer, a magnetic reference layer, and an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween. The two-terminal bidirectional selector includes bottom and top electrodes, first and third volatile switching layers interposed between the bottom and top electrodes, and a second volatile switching layer interposed between the first and third volatile switching layers. The bottom and top electrodes each independently include one of titanium nitride or iridium. The first and third volatile switching layers each include tantalum oxide and silver. The second volatile switching layer includes hafnium oxide and has a higher electrical resistance than the first and third volatile switching layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wei, Hongxin Yang
  • Publication number: 20220093856
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory cell includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode having a conductive material, a resistive layer interposed between the bottom electrode and the top electrode, and side portions covering sides of the top electrode and the resistive layer. The side portions contain an oxide of the conductive material. The non-volatile memory cell further includes a contact wire disposed on the top electrode. A width of the contact wire is less than a width between lateral outer surfaces of the side portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Zhiqiang WEI, Zhichao LU
  • Patent number: 11227994
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory cell includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode having a conductive material, a resistive layer interposed between the bottom electrode and the top electrode, and side portions covering sides of the top electrode and the resistive layer. The side portions contain an oxide of the conductive material. The non-volatile memory cell further includes a contact wire disposed on the top electrode. A width of the contact wire is less than a width between lateral outer surfaces of the side portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Hefei Reliance Memory Limited
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wei, Zhichao Lu
  • Publication number: 20210313393
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory cell including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element and a two-terminal bidirectional selector coupled in series between two conductive lines. The MTJ memory element includes a magnetic free layer, a magnetic reference layer, and an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween. The two-terminal bidirectional selector includes bottom and top electrodes, first and third volatile switching layers interposed between the bottom and top electrodes, and a second volatile switching layer interposed between the first and third volatile switching layers. The bottom and top electrodes each independently include one of titanium nitride or iridium. The first and third volatile switching layers each include tantalum oxide and silver. The second volatile switching layer includes hafnium oxide and has a higher electrical resistance than the first and third volatile switching layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventor: Zhiqiang Wei
  • Publication number: 20210312964
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory cell including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element and a two-terminal bidirectional selector coupled in series between two conductive lines. The MTJ memory element includes a magnetic free layer; a magnetic reference layer; and an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween. The two-terminal bidirectional selector includes a bottom electrode; a top electrode; a load-resistance layer interposed between the bottom and top electrodes and comprising a first tantalum oxide; a first volatile switching layer interposed between the bottom and top electrodes and comprising a metal dopant and a second tantalum oxide that has a higher oxygen content than the first tantalum oxide; and a second volatile switching layer in contact with the first volatile switching layer and comprising a third tantalum oxide that has a higher oxygen content than the first tantalum oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Wei, Kimihiro Satoh, Woojin Kim, Zihui Wang
  • Patent number: 11060177
    Abstract: The present invention discloses preparation of a reflective image component and application method thereof. A reflective image component in the present invention consists of a metallic semi-continuous thin film, a porous alumina film and a high reflective metal substrate. The structure is easy in preparation, low in cost, environmental friendly regarding preparing procedures and suitable for large-scale fabrication, which plays a significant role in developing a next generation of image component; the minimum pixel in the image obtained is able to reach nano level, much smaller than the pixel in most of the self-luminous screens at present; the image also provides the ability of reversible color transformations, which can be applied to information encryption and trademark decoration and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SUN YAT-SEN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhangkai Zhou, Jiancai Xue, Zhiqiang Wei
  • Patent number: 10900926
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes: a first electrode; a metal oxide layer that is on the first electrode and has a resistance value that changes when the metal oxide layer contacts hydrogen atoms; a second electrode on the metal oxide layer; and an insulating film that covers at least a part of side surfaces of the first electrode, the metal oxide layer, and the second electrode. In the metal oxide layer, a part of a first interface between the first electrode and the metal oxide layer is not covered by the insulating film and is exposed to a gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Katayama, Zhiqiang Wei, Shunsaku Muraoka, Kazunari Homma