Patents Issued in November 20, 2007
  • Patent number: 7297981
    Abstract: A light-shielding film formed above a substrate has a multilayered thin film structure, in which a thin film not containing nitrogen and a thin film containing nitrogen are alternately arranged. Since the thin film containing nitrogen is formed in the light-shielding film, the stress caused by thermal distortion at the time of an annealing treatment is absorbed by the thin film containing nitrogen. Thus, cracks in an insulating film or a semiconductor film which extend from the light-shielding film can be prevented from occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Shimizu, Katsumi Asada
  • Patent number: 7297982
    Abstract: A display device includes a pixel region having a plurality of pixels and a peripheral circuit region disposed at a periphery of the pixel region for driving the pixels. The peripheral circuit region includes transistors fabricated from polycrystalline semiconductor and having a semiconductor crystalline grain of a first kind in a channel region thereof, wherein a grain size of the semiconductor crystalline grain of the first kind is at least 3 ?m. The pixel region includes transistors fabricated from polycrystalline semiconductor and having a semiconductor crystalline grain of a second kind in a channel region thereof, wherein a grain size of the semiconductor crystalline grain of the second kind is at least 0.05 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenkichi Suzuki, Tetsuya Nagata, Michiko Takahashi, Masakazu Saito, Toshio Ogino, Masanobu Miyano
  • Patent number: 7297983
    Abstract: Integrated circuit device comprising a conductive layer and a poly-crystalline silicon layer, wherein the integrated circuit device further comprises an intermediate counter-stress layer. This intermediate counter-stress layer is arranged between the poly-crystalline silicon layer and the conductive layer, and enables stress-reduced crystallization of the poly-crystalline silicon layer. Further, the intermediate counter-stress layer is amorphous at and below a poly-silicon crystallization temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Hecht, Henry Bernhardt, Christian Kapteyn
  • Patent number: 7297984
    Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting device has a pair of leads placed in parallel, a light-emitting element on the upper end of one lead, a bonding wire for electrically connecting the semiconductor light-emitting element of the upper end of another lead, and an envelope formed from a light-transmitting resin for sealing the semiconductor light-emitting element, the bonding wire, and the upper end of the leads, provided with a non-circular lateral cross-sectional surface structure with a long axis and a short axis. In the device, when observed along a direction in which the plurality of light-emitting devices are mounted on a same lead frame, a curvature of the lateral direction of said envelope is smaller than a curvature of the vertical direction of said envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Satoshi Komoto, Toshiaki Tanaka, Norio Fujimura
  • Patent number: 7297985
    Abstract: A display device is formed by burying at least part of a light emitting device in an insulating material, wherein a drive electrode for the light emitting device is formed so as to be extracted on a surface of the insulating material. A display unit is produced by two-dimensionally arraying such light emitting devices on a base body. Since the display device is modularized by burying a light emitting device finely formed in an insulating material, to re-shape the light emitting device into a size easy to handle, it is possible to suppress the production cost of the display unit using such display devices, and to ensure a desirable handling performance of the light emitting device; for example, facilitate the carrying of the light emitting device or the mounting thereof on a base body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toyoharu Oohata, Hideharu Nakajima, Yoshiyuki Yanagisawa, Toshiaki Iwafuchi
  • Patent number: 7297988
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a flip chip type nitride semiconductor light emitting device having p-type and n-type nitride semiconductor layers, and an active layer in between. The invention also has an ohmic contact layer formed on the p-type nitride semiconductor layer, a light-transmitting conductive oxide layer formed on the ohmic contact layer, and a highly reflective metal layer formed on the light-transmitting conductive oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung Wan Chae, Suk Kil Yoon, Kun Yoo Ko, Hyun Wook Shim, Bong Il Yi
  • Patent number: 7297989
    Abstract: Disclosed are a diboride single crystal substrate which has a cleavage plane as same as that of a nitride compound semiconductor and is electrically conductive; a semiconductor laser diode and a semiconductor device using such a substrate and methods of their manufacture wherein the substrate is a single crystal substrate 1 of diboride XB2 (where X is either Zr or Ti) which is facially oriented in a (0001) plane 2 and has a thickness of 0.1 mm or less. The substrate 1 is permitted cleaving and splitting along a (10-10) plane 4 with ease. Using this substrate to form a semiconductor laser diode of a nitride compound, a vertical structure device can be realized. Resonant planes of a semiconductor laser diode with a minimum of loss can be fabricated by splitting the device in a direction parallel to the (10-10) plane. A method of manufacture that eliminates a margin of cutting is also realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignees: National Institute for Materials Science, Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Otani, Hiroyuki Kinoshita, Hiroyuki Matsunami, Jun Suda, Hiroshi Amano, Isamu Akasaki, Satoshi Kamiyama
  • Patent number: 7297990
    Abstract: A silicon-based interband tunneling diode (10, 110) includes a degenerate p-type doping (22, 130) of acceptors, a degenerate n-type doping (32, 118) of donors disposed on a first side of the degenerate p-type doping (22, 130), and a barrier silicon-germanium layer (20, 136) disposed on a second side of the degenerate p-type doping (22, 130) opposite the first side. The barrier silicon-germanium layer (20, 136) suppresses diffusion of acceptors away from a p/n junction defined by the degenerate p-type and n-type dopings (22, 32, 118, 130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: The Ohio State University
    Inventors: Paul R. Berger, Phillip E. Thompson, Niu Jin
  • Patent number: 7297991
    Abstract: A bipolar junction transistor includes a dielectric layer formed on a predetermined region of a substrate, an opening formed in the dielectric layer and a portion of the substrate being exposed, a semiconductor layer formed on a sidewall and a bottom of the opening and on a portion of the dielectric layer outside the opening, a spacer formed on the semiconductor layer to define a self-aligned emitter region in the opening, an emitter conductivity layer being filled with the self-aligned emitter region and a PN junction being formed between the emitter conductivity layer and the semiconductor layer, and a salicide layer formed on the emitter conductivity layer and on the portion of the semiconductor layer extending outside the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventor: Anchor Chen
  • Patent number: 7297992
    Abstract: According to one exemplary embodiment, a heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a base situated on a substrate. The heterojunction bipolar transistor can be an NPN silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor, for example. The heterojunction bipolar transistor further includes a cap layer situated on the base, where the cap layer includes a barrier region. The barrier region can comprises carbon and has a thickness, where the thickness of the barrier region determines a depth of an emitter-junction of the heterojunction bipolar transistor. An increase in the thickness of the barrier region can cause a decrease in the depth of the emitter-base junction. According to this exemplary embodiment, the heterojunction bipolar transistor further includes an emitter situated over the cap layer, where the emitter comprises an emitter dopant, which can be phosphorus. A diffusion retardant in the barrier region of the cap layer impedes diffusion of the emitter dopant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Newport Fab, LLC
    Inventor: Greg D. U'Ren
  • Patent number: 7297993
    Abstract: A bipolar transistor having a base electrode of an air bridge structure is simplified in structure and enhanced in the degree of freedom of a contact position of a base wiring line with the base electrode. The bipolar transistor has a semiconductor mesa portion having a base layer formed on an upper face thereof, and a base electrode contacts with the base layer and has a floating extension which extends from the semiconductor mesa portion to a space on the outer side with respect to the semiconductor mesa portion. The floating extension is used as a contact portion for a base wiring line to the base electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Junichiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7297994
    Abstract: An epitaxially grown channel layer is provided on a well structure after ion implantation steps and heat treatment steps are performed to establish a required dopant profile in the well structure. The channel layer may be undoped or slightly doped, as required, so that the finally obtained dopant concentration in the channel layer is significantly reduced compared to a conventional device to thereby provide a retrograde dopant profile in a channel region of a field effect transistor. Additionally, a barrier diffusion layer may be provided between the well structure and the channel layer to reduce up-diffusion during any heat treatments carried out after the formation of the channel layer. The final dopant profile in the channel region may be adjusted by the thickness of the channel layer, the thickness and the composition of the diffusion barrier layer and any additional implantation steps to introduce dopant atoms in the channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Karsten Wieczorek, Manfred Horstmann, Rolf Stephan
  • Patent number: 7297995
    Abstract: An isolation region formed in a substrate and lined with a transparent metal layer. The isolation region provides isolation between adjacent active areas of an integrated circuit structure, for example the inventive region may provide isolation between pixels of a pixel array. Utilizing a transparent material maintains high quantum efficiency of the pixels as photons are not blocked from penetrating into the substrate. In one exemplary embodiment, a shallow trench isolation region is formed in a substrate, lined with an oxide or other dielectric, and an indium-tin-oxide shielding layer is formed over the oxide. The lined trench may then be filled with either the transparent metal material or a transparent insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Chandra Mouli
  • Patent number: 7297996
    Abstract: A twin-cell type semiconductor memory device in which the area of a chip can be reduced. In the twin-cell type semiconductor memory device for storing data in at least one pair of memory cells as complementary information, memory cells are arranged at each of a plurality of word lines at intervals at which bit lines are located. At least the one pair of memory cells, which have stored the complementary information and which indicate a plurality of areas each connected to a pair of bit lines, form a twin cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Ayako Sato, Masato Matsumiya, Satoshi Eto
  • Patent number: 7297997
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device with a dual storage node structure as well as methods of fabricating and operating such a device are provided. The semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a first transistor formed on the substrate, a first storage node connected to a source region of the first transistor, a second storage node connected to a drain region of the first transistor, and a plate line commonly contacting the first storage node and the second storage node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-min Shin, Bon-jae Koo, Yoon-dong Park, Young-soo Park
  • Patent number: 7297998
    Abstract: According to embodiments of the invention, a bit line interlayer insulating layer is placed over a semiconductor substrate. Two adjacent bit line patterns are placed in parallel on the bit line interlayer insulating layer and each of the two adjacent bit line patterns includes a bit line and a bit line capping layer pattern stacked thereon. A buried contact interlayer insulating layer covers a surface of the semiconductor substrate having the two adjacent bit line patterns. A contact hole is placed in a portion between the bit line patterns to penetrate the buried contact interlayer insulating layer and the bit line interlayer insulating layer and to expose at least one side wall of the bit line patterns. A contact hole spacer covers side wall of the contact hole. A contact hole plug is placed on the contact hole spacer to fill the contact hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-Goo Kim, Sang-Moo Jeong
  • Patent number: 7297999
    Abstract: An interlayer insulating film (22) is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A conductive plug (25) is embedded in a via hole formed through the interlayer insulating film. An oxygen barrier conductive film (33) is formed on the interlayer insulating film and being inclusive of an area of the conductive plug as viewed in plan. A capacitor (35) laminating a lower electrode, a dielectric film and an upper electrode in this order is formed on the oxygen barrier film. An intermediate layer (34) is disposed at an interface between the oxygen barrier film and the lower electrode. The intermediate layer is made of alloy which contains at least one constituent element of the oxygen barrier film and at least one constituent element of the lower electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Wensheng Wang
  • Patent number: 7298000
    Abstract: Container structures for use in integrated circuits and methods of their manufacture. The container structures have a dielectric cap on the top of a conductive container to reduce the risk of container-to-container shorting by insulating against bridging of conductive debris across the tops of adjacent container structures. The container structures are adapted for use in memory cells and apparatus incorporating such memory cells, as well as other integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurtej Singh Sandhu, Alan R. Reinberg
  • Patent number: 7298001
    Abstract: A three-dimensional capacitor structure has a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer disposed above the first conductive layer, and a plug layer disposed therebetween. The first conductive layer includes a plurality of grid units arranged in a matrix, where in odd rows of the matrix, a first conductive grid is located in each odd column, and a first circular hole is located in each even column. Additionally, a first conductive island is located within each first circular hole. The pattern of the second conductive grids, the second circular holes, and the second conductive island of the second conductive layer is mismatched with that of the first conductive layer. The plug layer has a plurality of plugs disposed in between each first conductive island and each second conductive grid, and in between each first conductive grid and each second conductive island.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: JMicron Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Li-Kuo Liu, Chien-Chia Lin
  • Patent number: 7298002
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes cylindrical capacitors each including corresponding cylindrical electrodes. Each cylindrical electrode includes hemispherical silicon grains. The hemispherical silicon grains protruding from an upper region of the cylindrical electrode have a large size, and the hemispherical silicon grains protruding from a lower region of the cylindrical electrode have a small size or the lower region of the cylindrical electrode has no hemispherical silicon grains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Elpida Memory Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kitamura, Yuki Togashi, Hiroyasu Kitajima, Noriaki Ikeda, Yoshitaka Nakamura, Eiichiro Kakehashi
  • Patent number: 7298003
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor device includes trench isolation layers formed in a semiconductor substrate, each trench isolation layer having a protruding portion having a height that is higher than a height of a surface of the semiconductor substrate, a control gate electrode crossing an active region between the trench isolation layers, a floating gate disposed between the control gate electrode and the active region, a gate interlayer dielectric film disposed between the floating gate and the control gate electrode, and a tunnel oxide layer disposed between the floating gate and the active region, wherein the protruding portion of each trench isolation layer has a sidewall profile where a width of the protruding portion continuously tapers from a lower portion of the protruding portion to an upper portion of the protruding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sun-Young Kim
  • Patent number: 7298004
    Abstract: The memory cell array comprises a plurality of parallel fins provided as bitlines arranged at a distance of down to about 40 nm from one another and having a lateral dimension of less than about 30 nm, subdivided into pairs of adjacent first and second fins. A charge-trapping memory layer sequence is arranged on the fins. Wordlines are arranged across the fins, and source/drain regions are located in the fins between the wordlines and at the ends of the fins. There are preferably self-aligned contact areas of the source/drain regions at the ends of the fins, each contact area being common to the fins of one of said pairs. Select transistors and select lines are provided for the first and second fins individually to enable a separate addressing of the memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Michael Specht, Wolfgang Roesner, Franz Hofmann
  • Patent number: 7298005
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory includes a first and a second active area configured to extend in the column direction in parallel; an element isolating region configured to electrically separate the first and the second active area; a plurality of word lines configured to extend in the row direction and be constituted by respective main parts and respective ends; and a plurality of memory cell transistors configured to be disposed on intersections between the respective main parts of the plurality of word lines and the second active area. Each memory cell transistor comprises a gate insulating film, a floating gate electrode, an inter-gate insulating film, and a control gate electrode, constituting a memory cell array; a short-circuit region configured to electrically short circuit the ends of the plurality of word lines; and a trench configured to separate the ends from the main parts of the plurality of word lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Susumu Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 7298006
    Abstract: A floating gate is formed on a semiconductor substrate via a gate insulating film. Diffused layers are formed as sources or drain regions on opposite sides of the floating gate in the semiconductor substrate. First and second control gates are formed opposite to both of the diffused layers on the opposite sides of the floating gate via an inter-gate insulating film to drive the floating gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Fumitaka Arai, Yasuhiko Matsunaga, Makoto Sakuma, Riichiro Shirota, Akira Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7298007
    Abstract: A memory device includes multiple fins formed adjacent to one another, a source region, a drain region, a gate, a wordline, and a bitline contact. At least one of the multiple fins is doped with a first type of impurities and at least one other one of the fins is doped with a second type of impurities. The source region is formed at one end of each of the fins and the drain region is formed at an opposite end of each of the fins. The gate is formed over two of the multiple fins, the wordline is formed over each of the multiple fins, and a bitline contact is formed adjacent at least one of the multiple fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Wiley Eugene Hill, Bin Yu
  • Patent number: 7298008
    Abstract: Disclosed are a silicon control rectifier, a method of making the silicon control rectifier and the use of the silicon control rectifier as an electrostatic discharge protection device of an integrated circuit. The silicon control rectifier includes a silicon body formed in a silicon layer in direct physical contact with a buried oxide layer of a silicon-on-insulator substrate, a top surface of the silicon layer defining a horizontal plane; and an anode of the silicon control rectifier formed in a first region of the silicon body and a cathode of the silicon control rectifier formed in an opposite second region of the silicon body, wherein a path of current flow between the anode and the cathode is only in a single horizontal direction parallel to the horizontal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Gauthier, Jr., Junjun Li, Souvick Mitra, Mahmoud A. Mousa, Christopher Stephen Putnam
  • Patent number: 7298009
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having semiconductor material of a first crystal orientation. A first transistor is formed in the semiconductor material of the first crystal orientation. An insulating layer overlies portions of the semiconductor body and a semiconductor layer overlies the insulating layer. The semiconductor layer has a second crystal orientation. A second transistor is formed in the semiconductor layer having the second crystal orientation. In the preferred embodiment, the semiconductor body is (100) silicon, the first transistor is an NMOS transistor, the semiconductor layer is (110) silicon and the second transistor is a PMOS transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG, International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jiang Yan, Chun-Yung Sung, Danny Pak-Chum Shum, Alois Gutmann
  • Patent number: 7298010
    Abstract: A composite transistor is disclosed for use in radiation hardening a CMOS IC formed on an SOI or bulk semiconductor substrate. The composite transistor has a circuit transistor and a blocking transistor connected in series with a common gate connection. A body terminal of the blocking transistor is connected only to a source terminal thereof, and to no other connection point. The blocking transistor acts to prevent a single-event transient (SET) occurring in the circuit transistor from being coupled outside the composite transistor. Similarly, when a SET occurs in the blocking transistor, the circuit transistor prevents the SET from being coupled outside the composite transistor. N-type and P-type composite transistors can be used for each and every transistor in the CMOS IC to radiation harden the IC, and can be used to form inverters and transmission gates which are the building blocks of CMOS ICs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventor: Kwok K. Ma
  • Patent number: 7298011
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a recessed L-shaped spacer and a method for fabricating the same. A recessed L-shaped spacer includes a vertical portion and a horizontal portion. The vertical portion is disposed on lower sidewalls of a conductor pattern, exposing upper sidewalls thereof. A top spacer is on the L-shaped spacer, wherein a width ratio of the vertical portion of the L-shaped spacer to the top spacer is at least about 2:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kong-Beng Thei, Chung-Long Cheng, Harry Chuang
  • Patent number: 7298012
    Abstract: An integrated circuit with a semiconductor substrate is provided. A gate dielectric is on the semiconductor substrate, and a gate is on the gate dielectric. A silicide layer is on the semiconductor substrate adjacent the gate and the gate dielectric. The silicide layer incorporates a substantially uniformly distributed and concentrated dopant therein. A shallow source/drain junction is beneath the salicide layer. An interlayer dielectric is above the semiconductor substrate, and contacts are in the interlayer dielectric to the salicide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Mario M. Pelella, William George En, Eric Paton, Witold P. Maszara
  • Patent number: 7298013
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a semiconductor component and a method of manufacture thereof. A semiconductor component comprises: a gate electrode layer adjacent a substrate, and a gate dielectric layer adjacent the gate electrode layer. The gate dielectric layer comprises a monolayer of at least one compound, wherein the compound has an aromatic or a condensed aromatic molecular group. The molecular group is capable of ?-? interactions, which stabilize the monolayer. In an embodiment, the semiconductor component is an organic field effect transistor (OFET). In an embodiment of the invention, a method includes forming the monolayer using a liquid phase immersion process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Guenter Schmid, Marcus Halik, Hagen Klauk, Ute Zschieschang, Franz Effenberger, Markus Schutz, Steffen Maisch, Steffen Seifritz, Frank Buckel
  • Patent number: 7298014
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing rectification error in a MEMS device cause by noise and/or vibration. A visco-elastic polymer is situated around at least part of the MEMs device, wherein the visco-elastic polymer converts at least some of the acoustic and/or vibration energy into heat, thereby reducing effects of the external acoustic and/or vibration energy on the MEMS device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Miguel C. Diaz
  • Patent number: 7298015
    Abstract: A three-dimensional structure element having a plurality of three-dimensional structural bodies and capable of being uniformly formed without producing a dispersion in shape of the three-dimensional structural bodies, comprising a substrate (11) and the three-dimensional structural bodies (1) disposed in a predetermined effective area (20) on the substrate (11), the three-dimensional structural bodies (1) further comprising space parts formed in the clearances thereof from the substrate (11) by removing sacrificing layers, the substrate (11) further comprising a dummy area (21) having dummy structural bodies (33) so as to surround the effective area (20), the dummy structural body (33) further comprising space parts formed in the clearances thereof from the substrate (11) by removing the sacrificing layers, whereby since the dummy area (21) is heated merely to approx.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Tohru Ishizuya
  • Patent number: 7298016
    Abstract: Electromechanical circuits, such as memory cells, and methods for making same are disclosed. The circuits include a structure having electrically conductive traces and supports extending from a surface of the substrate, and nanotube ribbons suspended by the supports that cross the electrically conductive traces, wherein each ribbon comprises one or more nanotubes. The electro-mechanical circuit elements are made by providing a structure having electrically conductive traces and supports, in which the supports extend from a surface of the substrate. A layer of nanotubes is provided over the supports, and portions of the layer of nanotubes are selectively removed to form ribbons of nanotubes that cross the electrically conductive traces. Each ribbon includes one or more nanotubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Nantero, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent M. Segal, Darren K. Brock, Thomas Rueckes
  • Patent number: 7298017
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a solid state actuator is provided having a solid state lithium storage material and a solid state volume changing material having a metal capable of changing volume in response to lithium insertion and removal. A solid state lithium ion transport material is located between the lithium storage material and the volume changing material. A pair of electrodes are connected so as to be capable of providing an actuation voltage across the lithium storage material and the volume changing material. In some embodiments, the volume changing material has active material particles comprised of metal contained in an inactive matrix. The active material particles may be aligned so that when the active material particles expand the volume changing material expands substantially in one direction. In some embodiments the volume changing material is a metal alloy and the lithium transport material is a high stiffness material. In some embodiments, multiple actuators are stacked, interleaved, or pillared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Ping Liu, Cameron Massey, Leslie Momoda, Geoffrey McKnight, William Barvosa-Carter, Alan Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 7298018
    Abstract: An electrically stable PbLa0.5TiO3/PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PLT/PZT) ferroelectric structure may fabricated using precursor solutions formed using a simple sol-gel process. The PLT/PZT ferroelectric structure may be extended to a PLT/PZT/PLT ferroelectric capacitor structure. In terms of device application, better ferroelectric properties with reliable fatigue characteristics are desirable to render satisfactory performance and long device life. The PLT/PZT/PLT ferroelectric capacitor structure excels over previous hybrid structures by providing a larger remnant polarization, higher saturation polarization, lower coercive field and leakage current density and higher resistance to fatigue. The fabrication method involving the use of a PLT seeding layer acts to lower the fabrication temperature of the subsequent PZT layer and allows for a simpler sequence of processing steps that may be seen to substantially reduce manufacturing costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Agency For Science, Technology and Research
    Inventors: Santhiagu Ezhilvalavan, Victor D. Samper
  • Patent number: 7298019
    Abstract: A MIM capacitor includes a lower electrode disposed on a semiconductor substrate. A dielectric layer is disposed on the lower electrode to completely cover an exposed surface of the lower electrode. An upper electrode is disposed on the dielectric layer. A method for forming a MIM capacitor includes forming a lower electrode on a semiconductor substrate. A dielectric layer and an upper metal layer are formed on an entire surface of the substrate to cover the lower electrode. The dielectric and upper metal layers are patterned on the lower electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Dongbu Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ki Min Lee
  • Patent number: 7298020
    Abstract: A wire (12) is formed on an insulating film (10) on a semiconductor substrate (1). The wire (12) is covered by silicon nitride film (14), inorganic SOG film (20) and TEOS film (21). A thin film resistance element (30) of chromium silicon (CrSi) is formed on the upper surface of the TEOS film (21). The acute angle (taper angle) at which a line connecting the local maximum and minimum points of a step on the upper surface of the TEOS film (21) beneath the area where the thin film resistance element (30) is formed intersects to the surface of the substrate (1) is set to 10° or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Syuji Asano, Yoshiaki Nakayama, Koji Eguchi
  • Patent number: 7298021
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided using wiring comprising aluminum to prevent hillock or whisker from generating, wherein the wiring contains oxygen atoms at a concentration of 8×1018 atoms·cm?3 or less, carbon atoms at a concentration of 5×1018 atoms·cm?3 or less, and nitrogen atoms at a concentration of 7×1017 atoms·cm?3 or less; furthermore, a silicon nitride film is formed on the aluminum gate, and an anodic oxide film is formed on the side planes thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Satoshi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 7298022
    Abstract: A protective sheet is fixed to a jig, and regions of the protective sheet corresponding to regions where dicing-cut is to be performed are removed to form grooves. Then, a semiconductor wafer is bonded to the protective sheet at an opposite side of the jig, and the jig is detached from the protective sheet and the semiconductor wafer bonded together. After that, the semiconductor wafer is cut into semiconductor chips by dicing along the grooves of the protective sheet. Because the protective sheet is not cut by dicing, no scraps of the protective sheet is produced, thereby preventing contamination to the chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fujii, Tsuyoshi Fukada, Kenichi Ao
  • Patent number: 7298023
    Abstract: The invention concerns an insulator for an organic electronic component, in particular, for an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) or for an organic capacitor. The insulating material is characterized in that it includes an almost constant relative dielectric constant, even in case of frequency variation in wide ranges, for example, between 1 Hz and 100 kHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: PolyIC GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Erwann Guillet, Peter Bonzani, Walter Fix, Henning Rost, Andreas Ullmann
  • Patent number: 7298024
    Abstract: A transparent amorphous carbon layer is formed. The transparent amorphous carbon layer has a low absorption coefficient such that the amorphous carbon is transparent in visible light. The transparent amorphous carbon layer may be used in semiconductor devices for different purposes. The transparent amorphous carbon layer may be included in a final structure in semiconductor devices. The transparent amorphous carbon layer may also be used as a mask in an etching process during fabrication of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiping Yin, David J. Williams, Weimin Li
  • Patent number: 7298025
    Abstract: The present invention provides microelectronic component assemblies and lead frame structures that may be useful in such assemblies. For example, one such lead frame structure may include a set of leads extending in a first direction and a dam bar. Each of the leads may have an outer length and an outer edge. The dam bar may include a plurality of dam bar elements, with each dam bar element being joined to the outer lengths of two adjacent leads. In this example, each dam bar element has an outer edge that extends farther outwardly than the outer edges of the two adjacent leads. The outer edges of the leads and the outer edges of the dam bar elements together define an irregular outer edge of the dam bar. Other lead frame structures and various microelectronic component assemblies are also shown and described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark S. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7298026
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a large die package with a leadframe having leads and a paddle is provided. An interposer is attached onto the leadframe with the interposer extending over at least a portion of the paddle and at least a portion of the leads of the lead-frame. The interposer is insulated from the leads. A die is attached to the interposer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Stats Chippac Ltd.
    Inventors: Il Kwon Shim, Jeffrey D. Punzalan, Keng Kiat Lau
  • Patent number: 7298027
    Abstract: A surface mounted package for semiconductor die has a lead frame with a first and elongated die pad which receives three MOSgated die spaced along its length; second, third and fourth die pads laterally spaced from the first die pad and in a row parallel to the first die pad and receiving respective MOSgated die. A central wire bond receiving pad is disposed between the first pad and the spaced second, third and fourth pads. Wire bonds then connect the die into a three phase inverter circuit. Pin connectors extend through a plastic housing covering the top of the lead frame and are connectable, with the die pads, to the surface of a PCB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Sung H. Yea, Sam Sundaram, Vijay Bolloju
  • Patent number: 7298028
    Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) for a package substrate of a multi-package module (MPM). The PCB comprises a substrate and a heat sink thereon. The heat sink comprises a first portion under the package substrate of the MPM. The heat sink further comprises a second portion adjacent to the first portion, comprising at least one fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Via Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chih-Hsiung Lin, Nai-Shung Chang
  • Patent number: 7298029
    Abstract: A non-contact identification semiconductor device is provided with a semiconductor chip including a receiving circuit that receives an inquiry to the non-contact identification semiconductor device, a memory that stores identification information of multiple bits and a sending circuit that sends the identification information. An antenna coupled to said semiconductor chip receives the identification information from said semiconductor chip and transmits the identification information outside of said non-contact semiconductor. The long side length of the semiconductor chip is not greater than 0.5 mm in plane dimension, and the identification information is stored by a pattern printed by an electron beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Usami, Kazutaka Tsuji, Takeshi Saito, Akira Sato, Kenji Sameshima, Kazuo Takaragi, Chizuko Yasunobu
  • Patent number: 7298030
    Abstract: A method of making a plurality of sealed assemblies is provided which includes a) assembling a first element to a second element so that a bottom surface of the first element faces downwardly toward a front surface of the second element and a top surface of the first element faces upwardly away from the second element; and (b) forming ring seals surrounding regions of the front surface of the second element by introducing flowable material between the first element and the second element from the top surface of the first element through openings in the first element. A chip is provided which includes: (a) a body defining a front surface and one or more circuit elements on or within the body; (b) one or more bond pads exposed at the front surface in a bond pad region; and (c) a metallic ring exposed at the front surface, the ring substantially surrounding the bond pad region. Sealed chip assemblies are formed by sealing an array of the chips, e.g., in wafer form, to a cap element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce M. McWilliams, Giles Humpston, Belgacem Haba, David B. Tuckerman
  • Patent number: 7298031
    Abstract: A microelectronic device and method for manufacture. In one embodiment, two microelectronic substrates are directly bonded to each other without an intermediate adhesive material. For example, each microelectronic substrate can include a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a functional microelectronic feature coupled to a connection terminal of the microelectronic substrate. The connection terminals can be coupled to a support member, such as a leadframe or a printed circuit board, with the bond plane between the microelectronic substrates either aligned with or transverse to the support member. The microelectronic substrates can be enclosed in a protective packaging material that can include a transparent window to allow selected radiation to strike one or the other of the microelectronic substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Tongbi Jiang, J. Michael Brooks
  • Patent number: 7298032
    Abstract: A multi-chip package comprises a package substrate having bond fingers disposed thereon. A first chip have center bonding pads formed on a substantially center portion thereof. The first chip is disposed on the package substrate. Insulating support structures are formed on the first chip located outward of the bonding pads. A bonding wire is connected between one of the bond fingers and at least one of the center bonding pads. A second chip has is disposed over the bonding wire and overlying the insulating support structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-Kuk Kim, Chang-Cheol Lee