With Particular Signal Path Connections Patents (Class 257/208)
  • Patent number: 8004085
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has an element interconnection 2, a top-layer element interconnection 4, a super-connect interconnection 10 and a bump 7. The element interconnection 2 is provided on a semiconductor substrate 1 through a plurality of insulating layers 50. The top-layer element interconnection 4 is formed above the element interconnection 2 by using a substantially equivalent process equipment. The super-connect interconnection 10 is provided on the top-layer element interconnection 4 through a super-connect insulating layer 9 having a thickness five or more times larger than that of the insulating layer 5, and has a thickness three or more times larger than that of each the element interconnection 2 and the top-layer element interconnection 4. The bump 7 is formed on the super-connect interconnection 10. The top-layer element interconnection 4 has a signal pad 4s, a power source pad 4v and a ground pad 4g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Shintaro Yamamichi, Katsumi Kikuchi, Jun Sakai, Hikaru Kouta
  • Publication number: 20110199804
    Abstract: A three-dimensional semiconductor device comprises active patterns arranged two-dimensionally on a substrate, electrodes arranged three-dimensionally between the active patterns, and memory regions arranged three-dimensionally at intersecting points defined by the active patterns and the electrodes. Each of the active patterns is used as a common current path for an electrical connection to two different memory regions that are formed at the same height from the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong-Hoon SON, Myoung Bum LEE, Ki Hyun HWANG, Seung Jae BAIK
  • Patent number: 7994543
    Abstract: A filler cell for use in fabricating an integrated circuit. The filler cell couples a power supply rail of an adjacent logic cell to a power supply rail of another adjacent logic cell. The filler cell also has a diode to bleed charge accumulated on the power rails of the adjacent logic cells to the substrate. The diode is reverse biased during normal integrated circuit operation. A method for fabricating an integrated circuit with a power grid. At least one filler cell is placed on the integrated circuit to bleed away charge accumulated on the power grid during the fabrication of the integrated circuit. The filler cell is connected to a supply rail of an adjacent logic cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Wu, Kenan Yu
  • Publication number: 20110175143
    Abstract: The semiconductor memory apparatus related to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wiring substrate arranged with a device mounting part and connection pads aligned along one exterior side of the wiring substrate, a plurality of semiconductor memory devices including electrode pads which are arranged along one external side of the wiring substrate, a semiconductor memory device group in which the plurality of semiconductor memory devices are stacked on the device mounting part of the wiring substrate so that pad arrangement sides all face in the same direction, and a controller device including the electrode pads arranged along at least one external side of the wiring substrate, wherein the electrode pads of the plurality of semiconductor memory devices and the electrode pads of the controller device are arranged parallel to an arrangement position of the connection pads of the wiring substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Takashi Okada
  • Patent number: 7982245
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit is disclosed which includes a main transistor and at least one of a fuse transistor or an anti-fuse transistor (“fuse/anti-fuse transistor”). Each transistor type includes an active region formed in a semiconductor substrate, a gate stack comprising a gate insulation layer and a gate electrode sequentially formed on the active region, and source/drain regions separated across the gate stack, but the gate insulation layer of the fuse/anti-fuse transistor is selectively damaged during fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun-hee Lim, Choong-sun Shin
  • Patent number: 7982244
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a first block having first memory cells and first select transistors, a second block having second memory cells and second select transistors, and arranged adjacent to the first block in a first direction, the second select transistor being arranged to face the first select transistor and commonly having a diffusion region with the first select transistor, a first interconnection layer provided on the diffusion region between the first and second blocks and extending in a second direction, and a second interconnection layer having a first portion provided in contact with an upper portion of the first interconnection layer and extending to a portion outside the first interconnection layer, and a second portion extending in the second direction and connected to the first portion in a portion outside a portion on the first interconnection layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Sato, Hiroyuki Nitta, Fumitaka Arai
  • Publication number: 20110156009
    Abstract: An electrical device includes a substrate; first and second active areas; first and second word lines disposed in a first plane; first and second bit lines in a second plane and in electrical communication with first and second active areas; and a reference line disposed in a third plane. A nanotube element disposed in a fourth plane is in electrical communication with first and second active areas and the reference line via electrical connections at a first surface of the nanotube element. The nanotube element includes first and second regions having resistance states that are independently adjustable in response to electrical stimuli, wherein the first and second regions nonvolatilely retain the resistance states. Arrays of such electrical devices can be formed as nonvolatile memory devices. Methods for fabricating such devices are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: H. Montgomery Manning, Thomas Rueckes, Claude L. Bertin
  • Publication number: 20110156102
    Abstract: A memory array including a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of word lines, a dummy word line, at least a first conductive region and at least a first plug is provided. Each word line is coupled to corresponding memory cells. A dummy word line is directly adjacent to an outmost word line of the plurality of word lines. The first conductive region is disposed only between the dummy word line and the outmost word line. The first plug is located between the dummy word line and the outmost word line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: MACRONIX International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: CHUN-YUAN LO, Cheng-Ming Yih, Wen-Pin Lu
  • Patent number: 7968917
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor memory device including: a first wiring layer; a second wiring layer; a third wiring layer; a memory array region; a first gate array region being formed at a region at which the first wiring layer, the second wiring layer and the third wiring layer can be used in wiring of the plural unit cells; and a second gate array region being formed at a region at which two wiring layers that are the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer can be used in wiring of the plural memory cells, and the plural unit cells are arrayed so as to be separated at an interval needed for placement, by using the first wiring layer, of wiring that should be placed by using the third wiring layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 7969429
    Abstract: The collector, emitter, and base of a bipolar transistor circuit are connected to a high side power supply terminal, the drain of a level shift transistor, and a floating power supply terminal, respectively. When a high side output transistor is on, the floating power supply terminal is at the potential of a high potential power supply terminal. The high side power supply terminal is at a potential higher than the potential of the floating power supply terminal by a constant voltage. Turning the level shift transistor on, its drain potential drops below the potential of the floating power supply terminal; The base current flows through the bipolar transistor circuit and the drain potential of the level shift transistor is clamped near the potential of the floating power supply terminal; The bipolar transistor circuit is turned on and its collector current supplies the drain current of the level shift transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Sasada, Hiroki Matsunaga, Masashi Inao, Hiroshi Ando, Jinsaku Kaneda, Eisaku Maeda, Akihiro Maejima
  • Publication number: 20110147800
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate including a first core region and a second core region between which a cell array region is interposed, a first conductive line and a second conductive line extending to the first core region across the cell array region, and a third conductive line and a fourth conductive line extending to the second core region across the cell array region, wherein a line width of the first through fourth conductive lines is smaller than a resolution limit in a lithography process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyeoung-Won SEO, Byung-Hyug ROH, Seong-Goo Kim, Sang-Min Jeon
  • Patent number: 7960759
    Abstract: A circuit 32 is provided comprising a first diffusion region 34 and a parallel second diffusion region 36. A sequence of N gate layers 40, 42, 46 is provided with a first and an Nth of these gate layers covering different respective ones of the diffusion regions 34, 36 whilst the middle (N?2) gate layers 42 cover both diffusion regions 34, 36. A bridging conductor 64 connects the first gate layer 40 and the Nth gate layer 46. In some embodiments, the second diffusion region is provided as two second diffusion sub-regions 68, 70 having a diffusion region gap 74 therebetween and electrically connected via a jumper connector 42. A first gate layer 76 which forms a gate electrode with a first diffusion region 66 can extend through this diffusion region gap 74 not forming a gate electrode therewith and facilitating use of a collinear bridging conductor 82 to connect to the Nth gate layer 80.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventors: Marlin Wayne Frederick, David Paul Clark
  • Publication number: 20110133254
    Abstract: An electrical device includes a plurality of interconnects passing through a plane. The interconnects have a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the plane and including an arrangement pattern which reduces or eliminates cross-talk between nearest neighboring interconnects, wherein the interconnects include a first differentially driven signal conductor pair and at least one other signal conductor, and the arrangement includes the at least one other signal conductor disposed at a substantially same distance from each conductor of the first differentially driven signal conductor pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Zhaoqing CHEN, Christian Schuster
  • Patent number: 7956384
    Abstract: A semiconductor power device supported on a semiconductor substrate that includes a plurality of transistor cells, each cell has a source and a drain region disposed on opposite sides of a gate region in the semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode is formed as an electrode layer on top of the gate region for controlling an electric current transmitted between the source and the drain regions. The gate electrode layer disposed on top of the semiconductor substrate is patterned into a wave-like shaped stripes for substantially increasing an electric current conduction area between the source and drain regions across the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Alpha & Omega Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventor: Shekar Mallikararjunaswamy
  • Patent number: 7956358
    Abstract: A memory device includes two electrodes, vertically separated and having mutually opposed contact surfaces, between which lies a phase change cell. The phase change cell includes an upper phase change member, having a contact surface in electrical contact with the first electrode; a lower phase change member, having a contact surface in electrical contact with the second electrode; and a kernel member disposed between and in electrical contact with the upper and lower phase change members. The phase change cell is formed of material having at least two solid phases, and the lateral extent of the upper and lower phase change members is substantially greater than that of the kernel member. An intermediate insulating layer is disposed between the upper and lower phase change members adjacent to the kernel member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shih Hung Chen
  • Patent number: 7957174
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory includes a memory cell array area having a memory cell, a word line contact area adjacent to the memory cell array area, a word line arranged straddling the memory cell array area and the word line contact area, a contact hole provided on the word line in the word line contact area, and a word line driver connected to the word line via the contact hole. A size of the contact hole is larger than a width of the word line, and the lowest parts of the contact hole exist on a position lower than a top surface of the word line and higher than a bottom surface of the word line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiko Kato, Mitsuhiro Noguchi
  • Patent number: 7951302
    Abstract: A method for forming a bump of a probe card is disclosed. In accordance with the method, a bump having a high aspect ratio for supporting a probe tip and a probe beam is formed using a semiconductor substrate as a mold eliminating a need for a photoresist film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Will Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Bong Hwan Kim, Jong Bok Kim
  • Patent number: 7950384
    Abstract: Cooking appliance having an external and control panel equipped with one or more regulating valves, where the rotary regulator organ is equipped with various peripheral openings for supplying a flow Q. According to two embodiments of the cooking appliance, for the supply of one or another type of gas, NG or LPG, either the control knob or a bezel disk in the external panel are interchangeable on the appliance, being chosen between two different available units, one and the other permitting two different angular position limits A2, A3 of the regulator organ for the supply of a constant flow Qmin through one or another opening with calibrated sections, respectively for NG or LP gas. An appendix in the control knob guided in a slide groove on the control panel of the appliance, or a tongue on the bezel disk stopping the rotation of the control knob, determines the travel limit A2 for the supply of Qmin of NG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Coprecitec, S.L.
    Inventor: Iñigo Albizuri
  • Patent number: 7952201
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a plurality of semiconductor chips and a plurality of through-line groups is disclosed. Each of the through-line groups consists of a unique number of through-lines. The numbers associated with the through-line groups are mutually coprime to each other. When one of the through-lines is selected for the each through-line group, one of the semiconductor chip is designated by a combination of the selected through-lines of the plurality of the through-line groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Kayoko Shibata, Hiroaki Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20110121367
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device including transistors B on an output side of a current mirror, arranged uniformly in a surrounding area of a transistor A on an input side of the current mirror. The transistors B are arranged at equal distances, adjacently to the transistor A, on both sides of the transistor A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Masaki Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 7944732
    Abstract: A capacitor in an integrated circuit (“IC”) has a first node plate link formed in a first metal layer of the IC electrically connected to and forming a portion of a first node of the capacitor extending along a first axis (y) and a second node plate link formed in a second metal layer of the IC extending along the axis and connected to the first node plate with a via. A third node plate link formed in the first metal layer is electrically connected to and forming a portion of a second node of the capacitor and extends along a second axis (x) of the node plate array transverse to the first node plate link, proximate to an end of the first node plate link and overlying a portion of the second node plate link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Lodewijk de Jong, Steven Baier
  • Patent number: 7943400
    Abstract: An semiconductor device having a plurality of fabrication layers. A first region of a first fabrication layer of the semiconductor device is revised. To signal the revision, a connectivity structure in a second region of the first fabrication layer is omitted to interrupt an otherwise continuous signal path that extends through a plurality of interconnection layers of the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: NetLogic Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Bindiganavale S. Nataraj
  • Publication number: 20110108889
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a 7F2 cell structure. In one embodiment, a bit line pitch of about 2?{square root over (3)}F and a word line pitch of about 2F may be configured for the semiconductor device. In one embodiment, each of the active areas of the semiconductor device may be rotated around a corresponding center region to be offset from a corresponding bit line region. A plurality of imaginary equal lateral triangles may be formed by connecting center regions located on adjacent bit line regions and by connecting adjacent center regions located on the same bit line region. In this manner, the active areas for the semiconductor device can be arranged in a close compact pile mode within the cell plane, thereby achieving better cell area utilization. The semiconductor device may be a dynamic random access memory (DRAM).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation
    Inventors: SEAN XING, Yongsheng Yang, DeYuan Xiao, Guo Qing Chen
  • Patent number: 7939830
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a display device where a semiconductor layer pattern formed between a pair of electrodes can be formed to a predetermined size, even in the case where the distance between the electrodes on top of a semiconductor layer pattern is relatively large in elements formed in accordance with a photoresist reflow technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Takahashi, Shigeru Ohno, Kunihiko Watanabe, Junichi Uehara, Tsuyoshi Uchida, Yasuko Gotoh
  • Patent number: 7935630
    Abstract: A designing method of a semiconductor device having a first wire and a second wire with a plurality of vias includes determining a first life time change rate of the semiconductor device in response to a change in a number of via column, a second life time change rate of the semiconductor device in response to a change in a number of via row, reducing the number of via column according to a ratio based on the first life time change and the second life time change; and increasing the number of via row at least one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Motonobu Sato
  • Patent number: 7932609
    Abstract: The semiconductor device has insulating films 40, 42 formed over a substrate 10; an interconnection 58 buried in at least a surface side of the insulating films 40, 42; insulating films 60, 62 formed on the insulating film 42 and including a hole-shaped via-hole 60 and a groove-shaped via-hole 66a having a pattern bent at a right angle; and buried conductors 70, 72a buried in the hole-shaped via-hole 60 and the groove-shaped via-hole 66a. A groove-shaped via-hole 66a is formed to have a width which is smaller than a width of the hole-shaped via-hole 66. Defective filling of the buried conductor and the cracking of the inter-layer insulating film can be prevented. Steps on the conductor plug can be reduced. Accordingly, defective contact with the upper interconnection layer and the problems taking place in forming films can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Kenichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7923755
    Abstract: In the present invention, a decoupling capacitance circuit, a first output terminal and a second output terminal are provided. The decoupling capacitance circuit comprises a TDDB control circuit consisting of a first Tr and a second Tr, and a third Tr. Conductivity types of the first and second Trs are different from each other. A source of the first Tr is connected to a first power supply wiring, and a drain of the first Tr is connected to a gate of the second Tr. A source of the second Tr is connected to a second power supply wiring, and a drain of the second Tr is connected to a gate of the first Tr. The third and first Trs have the same conductivity type. A source and a drain of the third Tr are connected to the first power supply wiring, and a gate of the third Tr is connected to the drain of the second Tr. The first output terminal is connected to the drain of the first Tr, and the second output terminal is connected to the drain of the second Tr.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Emi Mizushino, Hidetoshi Nishimura, Junichi Yano
  • Patent number: 7919990
    Abstract: A semiconductor device of the present invention comprises an SGT based, at least two-stage CMOS inverter cascade circuit configured to allow a pMOS SGT to have a gate width two times greater than that of an nMOS SGT. A first CMOS inverter includes two pMOS SGT arranged at respective ones of an intersection of the 1st row and the 1st column and an intersection of the 2nd row and the 1st column, and an nMOS SGT arranged at an intersection of the 1st row and the 2nd column. A second CMOS inverter includes two pMOS SGT arranged at respective ones of an intersection of the 1st row and the 3rd column and an intersection of the 2nd row and the 3rd column, and an nMOS SGT arranged at an intersection of the 2nd row and the 2nd column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Unisantis Electronics (Japan) Ltd.
    Inventors: Fujio Masuoka, Hiroki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7919793
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor integrated circuit including: a plurality of standard cells including a transistor having a gate electrode and arranged in combination with each other; a metallic wiring layer interconnecting the standard cells to form a desired circuit; and a plurality of reserve cells having a gate electrode, unconnected with the metallic wiring layer and arranged on a periphery of the standard cells, wherein each of the gate electrodes of the standard cells and the reserve cells has a gate pad section and two gate finger sections extending from the gate pad section to sides opposite to each other in a predetermined direction, and length of the gate pad sections of the reserve cells in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction is equal to or more than a sum total value of three times a minimum line width in the metallic wiring layer and twice a minimum separation distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Shusuke Iwata
  • Publication number: 20110073917
    Abstract: The structure and method of formation of an integrated CMOS level and active device level that can be a memory device level. The integration includes the formation of a “super-flat” interface between the two levels formed by the patterning of a full complement of active and dummy interconnecting vias using two separate patterning and etch processes. The active vias connect memory devices in the upper device level to connecting pads in the lower CMOS level. The dummy vias may extend up to an etch stop layer formed over the CMOS layer or may be stopped at an intermediate etch stop layer formed within the device level. The dummy vias thereby contact memory devices but do not connect them to active elements in the CMOS level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Tom Zhong, Adam Zhong, Wai-Ming J. Kan, Chyu-Jiuh Torng
  • Patent number: 7915647
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory concerning an example of the present invention comprises a cell array, a plurality of conducting wires extending from the cell array to a lead area, and a plurality of contact holes to arranged in the lead area so that a distance from the end of the cell array sequentially increases from one to the other of the plurality of conducting wires, each of the plurality of conducting wires having a first conducting wire portion having a first conducting wire width, a second conducting wire portion connected to the contact hole and having a second conducting wire width smaller than the first conducting wire width, and a third conducting wire portion electrically connecting the first conducting wire portion to the second conducting wire portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiko Kato, Mitsuhiro Noguchi
  • Patent number: 7906820
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a source offset type MOS transistor in which a source and a drain are formed on a semiconductor substrate by having a predetermined distance between the source and the drain, and a gate electrode is formed on the semiconductor substrate between the source and the drain via a gate insulation film. One end of the drain overlaps or abuts on one end of the gate electrode when viewed from above the gate electrode, and the source is formed by having a distance from the gate electrode when viewed from above the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaya Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 7902656
    Abstract: A hybrid integrated circuit device having high mount reliability comprises a module substrate which is a ceramic wiring substrate, a plurality of electronic component parts laid out on the main surface of the module substrate, a plurality of electrode terminals laid out on the rear surface of the module substrate, and a cap which is fixed to the module substrate to cover the main surface of the module substrate. The electrode terminals include a plurality of electrode terminals which are aligned along the edges of the module substrate and power voltage supply terminals which are located inner than these electrode terminals. The electrode terminals aligned along the substrate edges are coated, at least in their portions close to the substrate edge, with a protection film having a thickness of several tens micrometers or less. Connection reinforcing terminals consist of a plurality of divided terminals which are independent of each other, and are ground terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Moriyama, Tomio Yamada
  • Publication number: 20110049576
    Abstract: A system for terminating a homogenous cell array is disclosed. A preferred embodiment comprises a plurality of homogenous cells arranged in rows and columns to form the homogenous cell array, wherein a first homogenous cell of each column is electrically differently connected than a rest of the homogenous cells of the column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Martin Ostermayr, Ettore Amirante, Peter Huber
  • Patent number: 7897499
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming electrode patterns over a substrate, wherein the electrode patterns include a hard mask, forming a passivation layer on the electrode patterns, forming an insulation layer on the passivation layer, filling a space between the electrode patterns, planarizing the insulation layer until shoulder portions of the hard mask are planarized, forming a mask pattern on a resultant structure, and etching a portion of the insulation layer to form a contact hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Min-Suk Lee, Jae-Young Lee
  • Patent number: 7898007
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices are provided. A semiconductor device can include a substrate and a plurality of dummy line patterns on the substrate that extend in a first direction parallel with one another. Each of the dummy line patterns can include a plurality of sub-line patterns aligned along the first direction and which are separated from each other by at least one cutting region therebetween. The dummy line patterns can include first and second dummy line patterns which are adjacent to each other in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. At least one of the cutting regions between a pair of sub-line patterns of the first dummy line pattern is aligned with and bounded by one of the sub-line patterns of the second dummy line pattern in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Bok Lee, Joon-Hee Lee
  • Publication number: 20110042722
    Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a plurality of first doped regions disposed in a substrate in a matrix having odd columns and even columns each immediately adjacent to a corresponding one of the odd columns, a plurality of buried bit lines disposed in the substrate to electrically connect to the plurality of first doped regions of the same odd column in the matrix, and a plurality of surface bit lines disposed above an uppermost surface of the substrate, wherein each of the surface bit lines electrically connects to the first doped regions of the same even column in the matrix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORP.
    Inventors: Shing Hwa Renn, Shian Jyh Lin
  • Patent number: 7893459
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip includes a seal ring adjacent to edges of the semiconductor chip; an opening extending from a top surface to a bottom surface of the seal ring, wherein the opening has a first end on an outer side of the seal ring and a second end on an inner side of the seal ring; and a moisture barrier having a sidewall parallel to a nearest side of the seal ring, wherein the moisture barrier is adjacent the seal ring and has a portion facing the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chien-Jung Wang, Jian-Hong Lin
  • Patent number: 7893478
    Abstract: This disclosure concerns a semiconductor storage device comprising a semiconductor layer provided on the insulation layer provided on the semiconductor substrate; a source layer and a drain layer provided in the semiconductor layer; a body provided between the source layer and the drain layer, the body being in an electrically floating state; an emitter layer contacting with the source layer, the emitter layer having an opposite conductive type to the source layer; a word line including the source layer, the drain layer, and the body, the word line being provided to memory cells arrayed in a first direction in a plurality of tow-dimensionally arranged memory cells; a source line connected to the source layers of the memory cells arrayed in the first direction; and a bit line connected to the drain layers of the memory cells arrayed in a second direction intersecting the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomoki Higashi, Takashi Ohsawa, Ryo Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7893477
    Abstract: A select gate transistor has a select gate electrode composed of a first-level conductive layer and a second-level conductive layer. The first-level conductive layer has contact areas. The second-level conductive layer has its portions removed that are located above the contact areas. Two adjacent select gate electrodes that are adjacent to each other in the column direction are arranged such that the contact areas of one select gate electrode are not opposed to the contact areas of the other select gate electrode. One select gate electrode has its first- and second-level conductive layers removed in their portions that are opposed to the contact areas of the other select gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Watanabe, Hiroshi Nakamura, Kazuhiro Shimizu, Seiichi Aritome, Toshitake Yaegashi, Yuji Takeuchi, Kenichi Imamiya, Ken Takeuchi, Hideko Oodaira
  • Publication number: 20110018035
    Abstract: An array with cells that have adjacent similar structures that are displaced from each other across a common cell border in a direction that is not perpendicular to the cell border thus avoiding an across cell border design rule violation between the adjacent similar structures. A method of forming reduced area memory arrays by displacing adjacent similar structures along a common cell border. A method of building arrays using conventional array building software by forming unit pairs with cells that are not identical and are not mirror images or rotated versions of each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Theodore W. Houston, Robert R. Garcia
  • Publication number: 20110018036
    Abstract: A vertical non-volatile memory device is structured/fabricated to include a substrate, groups of memory cell strings each having a plurality of memory transistors distributed vertically so that the memory throughout multiple layers on the substrate, integrated word lines coupled to sets of the memory transistors, respectively, and stacks of word select lines. The memory transistors of each set are those transistors, of one group of the memory cell strings, which are disposed in the same layer above the substrate. The word select lines are respectively connected to the integrated word lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung-min Hwang, Han-soo Kim, Won-seok CHO, Jae-hoon Jang, Sun-il Shim, Jae-hun Jeong, Ki-hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 7875909
    Abstract: A gate array of a semiconductor substrate on which plural unit cells are arranged in parallel, the unit cells having the same pattern that includes a source potential region VDD, a PMOS, an NMOS and a ground potential region GND. Metal wiring lines being formed, with an insulating layer between, on the unit cells, with contacts that make electrical connection between the metal wiring lines and the unit cell transistors. The gate wiring of a transistor in a non-used unit cell is used in place of a metal wiring line. By doing so, the area of metal wiring lines in a gate array is reduced and the array wiring efficiency is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Uchida
  • Patent number: 7865635
    Abstract: A buffer device that transfers data and is shared by a plurality of CPU cores arranged in a symmetrically inverted manner about a predetermined reference line, each CPU core breaking up a data block into a plurality of data lines and outputting the data lines via a plurality of ports, includes a plurality of line buffers that correspond to the data lines and are connected to the ports in the CPU cores, wherein the line buffers are paired into line buffer groups, and the line buffers in each buffer group are arranged symmetrically about the reference line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Shuichi Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 7859023
    Abstract: This invention prevents a break in a signal wire disposed between wire ends due to attenuation and improves production yields of devices. In a standard cell, a first signal wire extends in a first direction. Second and third signal wires extend in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and are facing each other across the first signal wire. The second and third signal wires have the widths larger than the width of the first signal wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Ritsuko Ozoe, Hiroki Taniguchi, Hidetoshi Nishimura, Masaki Tamaru, Hideaki Kondo
  • Patent number: 7859024
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a substrate having a semiconducting surface (605) and a plurality of standard cells arranged in a plurality of rows including at least a first row (610) and a second row (615) immediately above the first row. The first row (610) include at least a first decap filler cell (602) including a first active area (612) and a field dielectric outside the first active area (612) having a portion with a full field dielectric thickness portion 621 and a portion with a thinned field dielectric (622), and at least a first MOS transistor (618) having a gate electrode (619) on a thick gate dielectric (613) on the first active area (612) connected as a decoupling capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Patrick W Bosshart
  • Patent number: 7851885
    Abstract: An electrically programmable fuse comprising a cathode member, an anode member, and a link member, wherein the cathode member, the anode member, and the link member each comprise one of a plurality of materials operative to localize induced electromigration in the programmable fuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Deok-kee Kim, Keith Kwong Hon Wong, Chih-Chao Yang, Haining S. Yang
  • Patent number: 7843227
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to reduce the chip area of a semiconductor integrated circuit. A semiconductor integrated circuit of the invention includes a first transistor, a second transistor disposed adjacent to the first transistor along a Y axis, and a third transistor disposed adjacent to the second transistor along an X axis. The semiconductor integrated circuit further includes a fourth transistor disposed adjacent to the third transistor along the Y axis and disposed adjacent to the first transistor along the X axis. The first to fourth transistors share a well, and an output signal of the first transistor and an output signal of the second transistor have phases opposite to each other. An output signal of the second transistor and an output signal of the third transistor have phases opposite to each other. An output of the third transistor and an output signal of the fourth transistor have phases opposite to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Masanori Isoda
  • Patent number: 7834388
    Abstract: A memory cell that includes a control gate disposed laterally between two floating gates where each floating gate is capable of holding data. Each floating gate in a memory cell may be erased and programmed by applying a combination of voltages to diffusion regions, the control gate, and a well. A plurality of memory cells creates a memory string, and a memory array is formed from a plurality of memory strings arranged in rows and columns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Nanostar Corporation
    Inventors: Andy Yu, Ying W. Go
  • Patent number: RE41963
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device is constructed to include a memory cell formed by a plurality of transistors, wherein each of gate wiring layers of all of the transistors forming the memory cell is arranged to extend in one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Yanai, Yoshio Kajii, Takashi Ohkawa