Capacitor For Signal Storage In Combination With Non-volatile Storage Means Patents (Class 257/298)
  • Patent number: 7294877
    Abstract: Nanotube on gate FET structures and applications of such, including n2 crossbars requiring only 2n control lines. A non-volatile transistor device includes a source region and a drain region of a first semiconductor type of material and a channel region of a second semiconductor type of material disposed between the source and drain region. A gate structure is made of at least one of semiconductive or conductive material and is disposed over an insulator over the channel region. A control gate is made of at least one of semiconductive or conductive material. An electromechanically-deflectable nanotube switching element is in fixed contact with one of the gate structure and the control gate structure and is not in fixed contact with the other of the gate structure and the control gate structure. The device has a network of inherent capacitances, including an inherent capacitance of an undeflected nanotube switching element in relation to the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Nantero, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Rueckes, Brent M. Segal, Bernard Vogeli, Darren K. Brock, Venkatachalam C. Jaiprakash, Claude L. Bertin
  • Patent number: 7288806
    Abstract: The invention includes memory arrays, and methods which can be utilized for forming memory arrays. A patterned etch stop can be used during memory array fabrication, with the etch stop covering storage node contact locations while leaving openings to bitline contact locations. An insulative material can be formed over the etch stop and over the bitline contact locations, and trenches can be formed through the insulative material. Conductive material can be provided within the trenches to form bitline interconnect lines which are in electrical contact with the bitline contact locations, and which are electrically isolated from the storage node contact locations by the etch stop. In subsequent processing, openings can be formed through the etch stop to the storage node contact locations. Memory storage devices can then be formed within the openings and in electrical contact with the storage node contact locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Luan C. Tran, Fred D. Fishburn
  • Patent number: 7276752
    Abstract: This invention includes methods of forming integrated circuits, and includes DRAM circuitry memory cells. In one implementation, a method of forming an integrated circuit includes forming a trench isolation mask over a semiconductor substrate. The trench isolation mask defines an active area region and a trench isolation region. An ion implantion is conducted into semiconductive material of the substrate to form a buried region within active area of the substrate. The buried region has a first edge received proximate an edge of the trench isolation region. Using the trench isolation mask, etching is conducted into semiconductive material of the substrate to form an isolation trench. After the ion implantation and after forming the isolation trench, insulative material is formed within the buried region and insulative material is deposited to within the isolation trench. The insulative material received within the isolation trench joins with the insulative material formed within the buried region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurtej S. Sandhu, Chandra Mouli
  • Publication number: 20070215926
    Abstract: Provided is an electric double layer capacitor including a large capacity single cell having a large electrostatic capacity and a small capacity single cell are connected to the same exterior case in parallel, and a thickness of a separator of the large capacity single cell is made thicker than a thickness of a separator of the small capacity single cell. With this structure, a supply amount of an electrolyte solution to the large capacity single cell is markedly increased compared with the small capacity single cell, thereby being capable of preventing degradation of the large capacity single cells and the small capacity single cells and providing the electric double layer capacitor having an excellent cycle life and having a large power storage amount while keeping characteristics capable of instantaneously allowing large current to flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenro Mitsuda, Ikuro Suga, Sadayuki Matsumoto, Makoto Seto, Naoki Ochi, Yoshiyuki Takuma
  • Patent number: 7256442
    Abstract: A method for forming the lower electrode of a capacitor used for fabricating a 1-Gbit or above DRAM, using a material having a high dielectric constant, is used in a method for manufacturing a storage capacitor of a VLSI semiconductor device. The lower electrode, which is to be in contact with a high dielectric film, is formed to have a triple-structured storage node pattern. The lowest layer of the lower electrode is formed with TiN which serves as a barrier against the diffusion of impurities from a lower substrate. The middle layer of the lower electrode is formed with RuO2 which is easy to pattern. The uppermost layer of the lower electrode is formed with Pt which has excellent leakage current properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Cheol-sung Hwang
  • Patent number: 7250649
    Abstract: A capacitor of a memory device, and a method of fabricating the same, includes a lower electrode electrically coupled to a doping region of a transistor structure, the lower electrode having a metal electrode and a metal oxide electrode, a ferroelectric layer covering and extending laterally along the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed on the ferroelectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-soo Park, Jung-hyun Lee, Choong-rae Cho, June-mo Koo, Suk-pil Kim, Sang-min Shin
  • Patent number: 7247357
    Abstract: The image display device has a display section formed of plural pixels and a control section which controls the display section, and is provided with nonvolatile phase-change type pixel memories in respective ones of the pixels, or is provided with a nonvolatile phase-change type frame memory in the control section. Each of the nonvolatile phase-change type pixel memories is formed of one or more switches and a variable-resistance memory element fabricated from a chalcogenide material for storing display data for at least a specified period of time. The nonvolatile phase-change type frame memory is formed of one or more switches and a variable-resistance memory element fabricated from a chalcogenide material for retaining display data for one frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Shiba, Motoyasu Terao, Hideyuki Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 7244982
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a capacitive element including a first conductive film formed on the bottom and wall surfaces of an opening formed in an insulating film on a substrate, a dielectric film formed on the first conductive film, and a second conductive film formed on the dielectric film. The dielectric film of the capacitive element is crystallized. The first and second conductive films are made of a polycrystal of an oxide, a nitride or an oxynitride of a noble metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Natsume, Shinichiro Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20070158723
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device of the present invention has a configuration in which a plurality of memory cells respectively including a transistor connected to a storage element for accumulating data are used, a bit line and a word line for specifying one of a plurality of memory cells are used. A structure in which a source electrode and a drain electrode hold an active region is formed vertically to a substrate face. The same bit line is connected to the first two-memory cell unit adjacently formed in a predetermined direction. The same word line is formed, which is a gate electrode of the transistors of the second two-memory cell unit which includes one memory cell of the first two-memory cell unit and which is adjacently formed in the predetermined direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicant: ELPIDA MEMORY, INC.
    Inventor: Naoki YOKOI
  • Patent number: 7239194
    Abstract: A plurality of trenched capacitors are grouped in phases. A control circuit switches each phase between charging and discharging states devised to supply one or more loads with controlled power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Integral Wave Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Firas Azrai, Michael Yates, David Nelms
  • Patent number: 7235835
    Abstract: The present invention proposes a semiconductor device, its manufacturing method and to an electronic apparatus thereof equipped with the semiconductor device where it becomes possible to make a CMOS type solid-state imaging device, an imager area formed with a MOS transistor of an LDD structure without having a metal silicide layer of a refractory metal, an area of DRAM cells and the like into a single semiconductor chip. According to the present invention, a semiconductor device is constituted such that an insulating film having a plurality of layers is used, sidewalls at the gate electrodes are formed by etching back the insulating film of the plurality of layers or a single layer film in the region where metal silicide layers are formed and in the region where the metal silicide layers are not formed, sidewalls composed of an upper layer insulating film is formed on a lower layer insulating film whose surface is coated or the insulating film of the plurality of layers remain unchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Nagano, Yasushi Morita
  • Patent number: 7232719
    Abstract: A memory charge storage node (120.1, 120.2, 120.3) is at least partially located in a trench (124). The memory comprises a transistor including a source/drain region (170) present at a first side (124.1) but not a second side (124.2) of the trench. Before forming conductive material (120.3) providing at least a portion of the charge storage node, a blocking feature (704) is formed adjacent to the second side (124.2) to block the conductive material (120.3). The blocking feature can be dielectric left in the final structure, or can be a sacrificial feature which is removed after the conductive material deposition to make room for dielectric. The blocking features for multiple trenches in a memory array can be patterned using a mask (710) comprising a plurality of straight strips each of which runs through the memory array in the row direction. The charge storage node has a protrusion (120.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: ProMOS Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Chao-Hsi Chung, Jung-Wu Chien
  • Patent number: 7227219
    Abstract: A memory cell patterned as a trench transistor is provided with a first gate electrode (4) as auxiliary gate for source-side injection and a second gate electrode (5) electrically insulated therefrom, which are arranged in the trench, and has, at the trench walls, a storage layer sequence (10) provided for charge trapping and comprising a storage layer (12) between boundary layers (11, 13). The first gate electrode (4) and the second gate electrode (5) are electrically insulated from one another, which can be effected by means of a portion of the storage layer sequence (10). Source/drain regions (3) are arranged on the top side laterally with respect to the trenches. Word lines (6), source/drain lines and control gate lines are present for the electrical driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Thomas Mikolajick
  • Patent number: 7221014
    Abstract: DRAM devices include a plurality of word lines extending in a first direction and a plurality of bit lines extending in a second direction and intersecting the word lines. A plurality of active regions is provided that are electrically coupled to the word lines and the bit lines. Each of the active regions defines a single unit memory cell having an area of 6F2 in terms of a minimum line width F. Each of the active regions may be overlapped by only one word line and the active regions may be defined by an isolation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Doo-hoon Goo, Jung-hyeon Lee, Gi-sung Yeo, Han-ku Cho, Sang-gyun Woo
  • Patent number: 7214980
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, at least two gate electrode sections formed adjacent to each other on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first diffusion region formed in the surface area of the semiconductor substrate, except in the gate electrode sections, a substrate contact layer formed between the gate electrode sections in self-alignment therewith, a first side-wall insulating film formed on one of side-wall portions of each of the gate electrode sections, and a second side-wall insulating film formed on other of the side-wall portions of each of the gate electrode sections. The device further includes a second diffusion region whose conductivity type is opposite to that of the first diffusion region, formed in the surface area of the semiconductor substrate and corresponding to each of the edges of the gate electrode sections, the edges corresponding to the other of the side-wall portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masaru Kidoh, Hideaki Aochi
  • Patent number: 7208794
    Abstract: Semiconductor memory having memory cells, each including first and second conductively-doped contact regions and a channel region arranged between the latter, formed in a web-like rib made of semiconductor material and arranged one behind the other in this sequence in the longitudinal direction of the rib. The rib has an essentially rectangular shape with an upper side of the rib and rib side faces lying opposite. A memory layer is configured for programming the memory cell, arranged on the upper side of the rib spaced apart by a first insulator layer, and projects in the normal direction of the one rib side face over one of the rib side faces so that the one rib side face and the upper side of the rib form an edge for injecting charge carriers from the channel region into the memory layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Franz Hofmann, Erhard Landgraf, Richard Johannes Luyken, Wolfgang Roesner, Michael Specht
  • Patent number: 7199415
    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: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurtej Singh Sandhu, Alan R. Reinberg
  • Patent number: 7193261
    Abstract: A quantum supercapacitor having nanostrucutured material located between electrodes. The material includes clusters with tunnel-transparent gaps. The clusters have sizes within the range of 7.2517 nm?r?29.0068 nm, at which the resonant characteristics of the electron are exhibited. The size is determined by the circular radius of the electronic wave according to the formula r0=/(me?2c)=7.2517 nm (Plank constant , electron mass me, fine structure constant ?=1/137,036, speed of light c). The cluster size is set within the range r0?4r0; the width of the tunnel-transparent gap being ?r0=7.2517 nm. The energy in the supercapacitor is stored by means of controlled breakthrough of the material—a dielectric, with subsequent restoring thereof. The energy is stored uniformly along the whole volume of the material due to the resonant coupling of the electrons on the cluster. The maximum stored specific energy stored is 1.66 MJ/kg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Inventor: Alexandr Mikhailovich Ilyanok
  • Patent number: 7190210
    Abstract: A plurality of thin-film capacitors are grouped in phases. A control circuit switches each phase between charging and discharging states devised to supply one or more loads with controlled power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Integral Wave Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Firas Azrai, Michael Yates, David Nelms
  • Patent number: 7183603
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including square type storage nodes and a method of manufacturing the same. Word lines are formed on a semiconductor substrate Bit lines are formed separated from the word lines and perpendicular to the word lines. Active regions are defined to have a major axis slanted to the word line direction and the bit line direction. Storage nodes of capacitors are arranged along the word lines overlapping the word lines and arranged in a zigzag pattern that centers upon the bit lines. Storage node contacts are formed to electrically connect the active regions to the storage nodes, while being self-aligned with the bit lines, separated from each other on the word lines, and with a larger line width in the word line direction than the bit line direction to overlap large areas of the storage nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Je-Min Park
  • Patent number: 7183604
    Abstract: Dielectric material compositions comprising HfO2 and a second compound are disclosed. The compositions are characterized by at least a part of the compositions being in a cubic crystallographic phase. Further, semiconductor based devices comprising such dielectric material compound and method for forming such compounds are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (IMEC vzw)
    Inventors: Eduard Cartier, Jerry Chen, Chao Zhao
  • Patent number: 7180122
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first hydrogen barrier film, a capacitor device formed on the first hydrogen barrier film, and a second hydrogen barrier film formed to cover the capacitor device. The first and second hydrogen barrier films each contain at least one common type of atoms for allowing the first and second hydrogen barrier films to adhere to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takumi Mikawa, Yuji Judai, Toshie Kutsunai
  • Patent number: 7166886
    Abstract: Structures and methods for memory cells having a volatile and a non-volatile component in a single memory cell are provided. The memory cell includes a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region separated by a channel region in a substrate. A storage capacitor is coupled to one of the first and the second source/drain regions. A floating gate opposes the channel region and separated therefrom by a gate oxide. A control gate opposes the floating gate. The control gate is separated from the floating gate by a low tunnel barrier intergate insulator. The memory cell is adapted to operate in a first and a second mode of operation. The first mode of operation is a dynamic mode of operation and the second mode of operation is a repressed memory mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Forbes
  • Patent number: 7166887
    Abstract: A memory device comprises a semiconductor substrate of a first conductive type, a memory transistor, a select transistor, a floating junction region, a common source region, and a bit line junction region. The memory transistor positions on the semiconductor substrate and comprises a gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate and a memory transistor gate formed on the gate insulating film. The gate insulating film includes a tunnel insulating film. The select transistor positions on the semiconductor substrate and is separated from the memory transistor gate. The select transistor comprises a gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate and a select transistor gate formed on the gate insulating film. A floating junction region is formed of a second conductive type on the semiconductor substrate below the tunnel insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weon-Ho Park, Hyun-Khe Yoo
  • Patent number: 7164161
    Abstract: A device, as in an integrated circuit, includes diverse components such as transistors and capacitors. After conductive layers for all types of components are produced, a silicide layer is provided over conductive layers, reducing resistance. The device can be an imager in which pixels in an array includes a capacitor and readout circuitry with NMOS transistors. Periphery circuitry around the array can include PMOS transistors. Because the silicide layer is formed after the conductive layers, it is not exposed to high temperatures and, therefore, migration and cross-contamination of dopants is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Sungkwon C. Hong
  • Patent number: 7145195
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate including an isolation region defining an active area with a plurality of source/drain regions. A contact pad layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate and includes gate line structures, first contact pads connected to parts of the source/drain regions, second contact pads connected to the other source/drain regions. A first interlevel dielectric layer covers the gate line structures and the first and second contact pads. A bit line contact plug layer is formed on the contact pad layer and includes lower storage node contact plugs connected to the first contact pads, bit line contact plugs connected to the second contact pads. A protective layer pattern is formed on the second contact pads to prevent the second contact pads from being connected to the lower storage node contact plugs and/or upper storage node contact plugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Je-Min Park, Yoo-Sang Hwang
  • Patent number: 7145194
    Abstract: In order to improve the soft error resistance of a memory cell of an SRAM without increasing its chip size, in deep through-holes formed by perforating a silicon oxide film, there is a silicon nitride film and a silicon oxide film, a capacitor element having a TiN film serving as a lower electrode, a silicon nitride film serving as an insulator and a TiN film as an upper electrode. This capacitor element is connected between a storage node and a supply voltage line, between a storage node and a reference voltage line, or between storage nodes of the memory cell of the SRAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Akio Nishida, Hiraku Chakihara, Koichi Toba
  • Patent number: 7145193
    Abstract: In a peripheral circuit region of a DRAM, two connection holes, for connecting a first layer line and a second layer line electrically are opened separately in two processes. After forming the connection holes, plugs are formed in the respective connection holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Nakamura, Isamu Asano, Keizou Kawakita, Satoru Yamada
  • Patent number: 7135696
    Abstract: A phase change material may be formed within a trench in a first layer to form a damascene memory element and in an overlying layer to form a threshold device. Below the first layer may be a wall heater. The wall heater that heats the overlying phase change material may be formed in a U-shape in some embodiments of the present invention. The phase change material for the memory element may be elongated in one direction to provide greater alignment tolerances with said heater and said threshold device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ilya V. Karpov, Charles C. Kuo, Yudong Kim, Fabio Pellizzer
  • Patent number: 7119389
    Abstract: DRAM cells include a common drain region in an integrated circuit substrate and first and second source regions in the integrated circuit substrate, a respective one of which is laterally offset from the common drain region along respective first and second opposite directions. First and second storage nodes are provided on the integrated circuit substrate, a respective one of which is electrically connected to a respective one of the first and second source regions. The first and second storage nodes are laterally offset from the respective first and second source regions along the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-hyeon Lee, Dong-il Bae
  • Patent number: 7115927
    Abstract: Phase-changeable memory devices and method of fabricating phase-changeable memory devices are provided that include a phase-changeable material pattern of a phase-changeable material that includes nitrogen atoms. First and second electrodes are electrically connected to the phase-changeable material pattern and provide an electrical signal thereto. The phase-changeable material pattern may have a polycrystalline structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Horii Hideki, Jeong-hee Park
  • Patent number: 7105928
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the semiconductor devices using an HTS (High Temperature Superconductor) layer in combination with a typical diffusion layer between the dielectric material and the copper (or other metal) conductive wiring. The HTS layer includes a superconductor material comprised of barium copper oxide and a rare earth element. The rare earth element yttrium is particularly suitable. For semiconductor devices having other semiconductor circuits or elements above the wiring, a capping layer of HTS material is deposited over the wiring before a cover layer of dielectric is deposited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Hua Yu, Horng-Huei Tseng, Chenming Hu, Chao-Hsiung Wang
  • Patent number: 7105883
    Abstract: A semiconductor device, including: a diffusion barrier layer composed of ternary compound elements formed on a substrate, wherein the diffusion barrier contains ruthenium, titanium and nitrogen; and a capacitor formed on the diffusion barrier layer, wherein the capacitor includes a bottom electrode formed on the diffusion barrier layer, a dielectric layer formed on the bottom electrode and a top electrode formed on the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Dong-Soo Yoon
  • Patent number: 7098100
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a trench capacitor formed in a trench in a semiconductor substrate. The trench capacitor comprises a bottom electrode positioned on a lower outer surface of the trench, a dielectric layer positioned on an inner surface of the bottom electrode, a top electrode positioned on the dielectric layer, a collar oxide layer positioned on an upper inner surface of the trench, a buried conductive strap positioned on the top electrode, and an interface layer made of silicon nitride positioned at the side of the buried conductive strap. The bottom electrode, the dielectric layer and the top electrode form a capacitive structure. The collar oxide layer includes a first block and a second block, and the height of the first block is larger than the height of the second block. The interface layer is positioned on a portion of the inner surface of the trench above the second block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Promos Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Hui Min Li, Jung Wu Chien, Chao Hsi Chung, Ming Hung Lin
  • Patent number: 7091540
    Abstract: A memory cell of a semiconductor device and a method for forming the same, wherein the memory cell includes a substrate having active regions and field regions, a gate layer formed over the substrate, the gate layer including a plurality of access gates formed over the active regions of the substrate and a plurality of pass gates formed over the field regions of the substrate, first self-aligned contact regions formed between adjacent pass gates and access gates, and second self-aligned contact regions formed between adjacent access gates, wherein a width of each of the first self-aligned contact regions is larger than a width of each of the second self-aligned contact regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-Young Kim, Jin-Jun Park
  • Patent number: 7075137
    Abstract: In a charge trapping memory architecture for virtual ground with interconnects (6) that are present parallel to the word lines (2) and STI isolations (1) that are present parallel to the bit lines (4), provision is made of STI isolations (7) that are widened for division into slices. Instead of this, the interconnects present below a bit line may be omitted or two mutually adjacent bit lines (41, 42) may be wired up in such a way that the memory transistors present between them operate only in the dummy mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG, Infineon Technologies Flash GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Josef Willer, Christoph Ludwig, Joachim Deppe
  • Patent number: 7064375
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device, including a first memory cell having a first gate electrode, a first diffusion layer, and a second diffusion layer; a first contact layer connected to the first diffusion layer of the first memory cell; a second contact layer connected to the first contact layer; a second memory cell having a second gate electrode, a third diffusion layer and a fourth diffusion layer, the second gate electrode of the second memory cell electrically connected to the first gate electrode of the first memory cell, the first and second memory cells arranged in a direction perpendicular to the first bit line; and a conductive layer commonly connected to the second diffusion layer of the first memory cell and the fourth diffusion layer of the second memory cell, a height of the conductive layer substantially being coplanar with a height of the first contact layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Keisuke Yonehama, Eiji Sakagami, Hiromasa Fujimoto, Naoki Koido
  • Patent number: 7064376
    Abstract: A dynamic random access memory solves long-existing tight pitch layout problems using a multiple-dimensional bit line structure. Improvement in decoder design further reduces total area of this memory. A novel memory access procedure provides the capability to make internal memory refresh completely invisible to external users. By use of such memory architecture, higher performance DRAM can be realized without degrading memory density. The requirements for system support are also simplified significantly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Inventor: Jeng-Jye Shau
  • Patent number: 7064579
    Abstract: A highly economical alterable ASIC contains multiple fully optimized custom ASIC designs in one IC foot-print, each design utilizing the entire IC. The user can switch between multiple independently stored optimized logic applications instantly. The alterable ASIC comprises programmable logic blocks and user configurable circuits. Either random access memory (RAM) configuration circuits or mask configured read only memory (ROM) configuration circuits are stacked in separate module layers above a single logic module layer. Each RAM or ROM layer implements one design application and global control signals provide user selection. Alterable ASIC dissever the effective die cost, requires one smaller package, occupies one site on the PC board and needs less board level wires. An extremely low cost solution for system designs is realized with an alterable ASIC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Viciciv Technology
    Inventor: Raminda Udaya Madurawe
  • Patent number: 7056786
    Abstract: A self-aligned buried contact (BC) pair includes a substrate having diffusion regions; an oxide layer exposing a pair of diffusion regions formed on the substrate; bit lines formed between adjacent diffusion regions and on the oxide layer, each of the bit lines having bit line sidewall spacers formed on sidewalls thereof; a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer formed over the bit lines and the oxide layer; a pair of BC pads formed between adjacent bit lines and within the first ILD layer, each BC pad being aligned with one of the pair of exposed diffusion regions in the substrate; and a pair of capacitors, each of the pair of BC pads having one of the pair of capacitors formed thereon, wherein a pair of the bit line sidewall spacers is adjacent to each of the BC pads and the pair of bit line sidewall spacers has an asymmetrical shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., LTD
    Inventors: Cheol-Ju Yun, Chang-Hyun Cho, Tae-Young Chung
  • Patent number: 7057228
    Abstract: This invention provides a memory array and it support signals and a method for byte access for programming, erasing and reading memory cells. The advantage of this array and method is the ability to access bytes for program, erase, and read operations. This array and method uses an added isolation transistor to isolate the high voltage from the unselected byte. In addition, it utilizes a separate source line for each byte in a row. This source line is also shared by a byte in a different row. The array has very little peripheral circuit overhead requirement and it avoids programming disturbances of unselected memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Yue-Der Chih, Chrong-Jung Lin, Sheng-Wei Tsao, Chin-Huang Wang
  • Patent number: 7053428
    Abstract: A digital magnetic memory cell device for read and/or write operations includes a soft-magnetic read and/or write layer system and at least one hard-magnetic reference layer system formed as an AAF system. The device includes an AAF layer composite and at least one reference layer. The AAF layer composite has two magnetic layers, and the reference layer system includes at least one antiferromagnetic layer arranged adjacent to a magnetic layer of the AAF layer composite. The magnetic layer is remote from the antiferromagnetic layer and has a uniaxial anisotropy pointing in a first direction. The magnetization of the antiferromagnetic layer is oriented in a second direction. The anisotropy direction of the magnetic layer and the magnetization direction of the antiferromagnetic layer are at an angle with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Hans Boeve
  • Patent number: 7045845
    Abstract: A transistor (10) is formed in a semiconductor substrate (12) whose top surface (48) is formed with a pedestal structure (24). A conductive material (40) is disposed along a side surface (28) of the pedestal structure to self-align an edge of a first conduction electrode (45) of the transistor. A dielectric spacer (55) is formed along a side surface (49) of the conductive material to self-align a contact area (56) of the first conduction electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Gordon M. Grivna
  • Patent number: 7042039
    Abstract: An integrated memory circuit includes at least one memory cell formed by a single transistor whose gate (GR) has a lower face insulated from a channel region by an insulation layer containing a succession of potential wells, which are substantially arranged at a distance from the gate and from the channel region in a plane substantially parallel to the lower face of the gate. The potential wells are capable of containing an electric charge which is confined in the plane and can be controlled to move in the plane towards a first confinement region next to the source region or towards a second confinement region next to the drain region so as to define two memory states for the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Pascale Mazoyer, Alexandre Villaret, Thomas Skotnicki
  • Patent number: 7038259
    Abstract: CMOS and CCD imaging devices comprising different in-pixel capacitors and peripheral capacitors and methods of formation are disclosed. The capacitors used in periphery circuits have different requirements from the capacitors used in the pixel itself. Dual stack capacitors comprising two dielectric layers may be provided to achieve low leakage and high capacitance. A single masking step may be provided such that one region has a dual dielectric capacitor and a second region has a single dielectric capacitor. A different dielectric may also be provided in one region compared to another region wherein the inter-electrode insulator comprises a single dielectric in both regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Howard E. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 7034348
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive effect element may be given satisfactory magnetic characteristics because a deterioration of a magnetoresistive changing rate by annealing can be suppressed and a magnetic memory device includes this magnetoresistive effect element to provide excellent write characteristics. A magnetoresistive effect element has a pair of ferromagnetic layers (magnetization fixed layer 5 and magnetization free layer 7) opposed to each other through an intermediate layer 6 to cause an electric current to flow in the direction perpendicular to the layer surface to obtain a magnetoresistive change. A magnetic memory device comprises the magnetoresistive effect element 1 in which at least one of the pair of ferromagnetic layers 5, 7 contains an amorphous ferromagnetic material whose crystallization temperature is higher than 623 K and bit lines and word lines sandwiching this magnetoresistive effect element and the magnetoresistive effect element in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Ohba, Hiroshi Kano, Masanori Hosomi, Kazuhiro Bessho, Tetsuya Yamamoto, Tetsuya Mizuguchi
  • Patent number: 7030437
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes two sense amplifiers provided on a semiconductor substrate. Each of two sense amplifiers is formed of a pair of transistors. Two transistors are separated from each other by an element-isolating insulating portion provided on the semiconductor substrate. Therefore unlike the conventional, two transistors do not share the source region with each other, resulting in a semiconductor device with an improved sensitivity of a sense amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Satoshi Yodogawa, Satoshi Kawasaki, Takeshi Hamamoto
  • Patent number: 7030439
    Abstract: A DRAM memory cell includes a semiconductor substrate, an interlayer dielectric having storage node contact plugs that is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and storage node electrodes that are formed on the interlayer dielectric to contact the storage node contact plugs. The storage node contact plugs are formed such that an entrance portion is formed to be larger in linewidth than a contacting portions, and they are formed in gaps between the bit line structures. From a plan view perspective, the storage node electrodes of one column are offset from the storage node contact plugs in an adjacent column, such that the storage node electrodes are in a diagonal arrangement throughout the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheol-ju Yun, Sun-hoo Park
  • Patent number: 7027322
    Abstract: There is provided an EPIR device which is excellent in mass productivity and high in practical utility. The EPIR device includes a lower electrode layer, a CMR thin film layer and an upper electrode layer which are laminated in this order on any of various substrates. A Pt polycrystal thin film 10 forming the lower electrode layer includes columnar Pt crystal grains 10A, 10B, 10C, . . . and over 90% of these crystal grains is oriented to a (1 1 1) face. Columnar PCMO crystal grain groups 20A, 20B, 20C, . . . are respectively locally grown epitaxially on the respective outermost surfaces of the Pt crystal grains 10A, 10B, 10C, . . . . Then, the crystal faces of the crystal grains included in the PCMO crystal grain groups 20A, 20B, 20C, . . . and vertical in the substrate surface normal direction are any one of (1 0 0)p, (1 1 0)p and (1 1 1)p planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshimasa Suzuki, Yuji Nishi, Masayuki Fujimoto, Nobuyoshi Awaya, Kohji Inoue, Keizo Sakiyama
  • Patent number: 7023040
    Abstract: The present invention includes a programmable logic array having a first logic plane that receives a number of input signals. The first logic plane has a plurality of non-volatile memory cells arranged in rows and columns that are interconnected to provide a number of logical outputs. A number of non-volatile memory cells arranged in rows and columns of a second logic plane receive the outputs of the first logic plane and are interconnected to produce a number of logical outputs such that the programmable logic array implements a logical function. Each non-volatile memory cell includes a MOSFET. Each non-volatile memory cell includes a stacked capacitor formed according to a DRAM process. Each non-volatile memory cell includes an electrical contact that couples the stacked capacitor to a gate of the MOSFET. The present invention also includes methods for producing the Ics and arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonard Forbes, Eugene H. Cloud, Wendell P. Noble