Insulated Gate Field Effect Transistor Adapted To Function As Load Element For Switching Insulated Gate Field Effect Transistor Patents (Class 257/393)
  • Patent number: 7525163
    Abstract: A semiconductor device can include at least a first diffusion region formed by doping a semiconductor substrate and at least a second diffusion region formed by doping the semiconductor substrate that is separated from the first diffusion region by an isolation region. At least a first conductive line can comprise a semiconductor material formed over and in contact with the first diffusion region and the second diffusion region. A portion of the first conductive line in contact with the first diffusion region is doped to an opposite conductivity type as the first diffusion region. At least a second conductive line comprising a semiconductor material is formed in parallel with the first conductive line and over and in contact with the first diffusion region and the second diffusion region. A portion of the second conductive line can be in contact with the first diffusion region and doped to a same conductivity type as the first diffusion region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: DSM Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Madhukar B. Vora
  • Patent number: 7514757
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a static random access memory (SRAM) cell comprising a first pull-up MOS device, a first pull-down MOS device and a first pass-gate MOS device, a first metallization layer, and an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) underlying the first metallization layer, wherein the ILD comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, a first first-layer contact in the lower portion of the ILD and connecting at least two of the first pull-up MOS device, the first pull-down MOS device and the first pass-gate MOS device. The first first-layer contact is physically isolated from second layer contacts in the upper portion of the ILD. The semiconductor structure further includes a second first-layer contact in the lower portion of the ILD, and a second-layer contact having at least a portion on the second first-layer contact, wherein the second layer contact electrically connects the second first-layer contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jhon-Jhy Liaw
  • Publication number: 20090085127
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory structure based on gate oxide break down is constructed in a deep N-well. Thus, the electrical field over the programmable element during the transient procedure of gate oxide break down can be controlled to achieve the best memory programming results. The conductivity of the programmed memory cell is increased greatly and conductivity variation between the memory cells is reduced. This is achieved by adding a body bias during the programming process. The body here refers to a P-well formed within the deep N-Well. Furthermore, the read voltage offset is reduced greatly with this new memory configuration. These improved programming results will allow faster read speed and lower read voltage. This new structure also reduces current leakage from a memory array during programming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: Kilopass Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhongshan Liu, Harry S. Luan
  • Publication number: 20090065874
    Abstract: A metal supplying an N well voltage is provided in a first metal interconnection layer. The metal is electrically coupled to an active layer provided in an N well region by shared contacts so that the N well voltage is supplied to the N well region. A metal supplying a P well voltage is provided in a third metal interconnection layer. The metal supplying the N well voltage is formed using a metal in the first metal interconnection layer and thus does not require a piling region to the underlayer, and only a piling region to the underlayer of the metal for the P well voltage needs to be secured. Therefore, the length in the Y direction of a power feed cell can be reduced thereby reducing the layout area of the power feed cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: RENESAS TECHNOLOGY CORP.
    Inventor: Yuichiro Ishii
  • Patent number: 7488639
    Abstract: In order to provide a semiconductor integrated circuit device such as a high-performance semiconductor integrated circuit device capable of reducing a soft error developed in each memory cell of a SRAM, the surface of a wiring of a cross-connecting portion, of a SRAM memory cell having a pair of n-channel type MISFETs whose gate electrodes and drains are respectively cross-connected, is formed in a shape that protrudes from the surface of a silicon oxide film. A silicon nitride film used as a capacitive insulating film, and an upper electrode are formed on the wiring. A capacitance can be formed of the wiring, the silicon nitride film and the upper electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Akio Nishida, Yasuko Yoshida, Shuji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 7482657
    Abstract: A static random access memory (SRAM) is laid out to be balanced so that, when power is applied to the SRAM, the cells of the SRAM have no preferred logic state. In addition, the SRAM is fabricated in a process the emphasizes mismatches so that each individual cell assumes a non-random logic state when power is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Elroy Lucero
  • Patent number: 7482660
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory according to an example of the present invention is provided with a memory cell having a floating gate electrode and a control gate electrode, and a select gate transistor having a select gate electrode and connected in series to the memory cell. A cell unit is comprised with the memory cell and the select gate transistor. A bird's beak of the edge at the memory cell side of the select gate electrode is larger than a bird's beak of at least one edge of the floating gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Kanji Osari
  • Patent number: 7476944
    Abstract: Static random access memories (SRAMs) include a semiconductor substrate having a buried insulator in a predetermined portion of the semiconductor substrate and a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) region including a semiconductor layer on the buried insulator. A flip-flop circuit is in the SOI region and a pass transistor connected to the flip-flop circuit is on a bulk region of the semiconductor substrate. The bulk region of the semiconductor substrate is a separate region from the SOI region. The flip-flop circuit may include at least two CMOS inverters and the pass transistor may be a plurality of pass transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-wook Lee
  • Patent number: 7465996
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate divided into a first region and a second region; a first MIS transistor formed in the first region of the semiconductor substrate and including a stack of a first gate insulating film and a fully-silicided first gate electrode; and a second MIS transistor formed in the second region of the semiconductor substrate and including a stack of a second gate insulating film and a fully-silicided second gate electrode. The second gate electrode has a gate length larger than that of the first gate electrode. A middle portion in the gate length direction of the second gate electrode has a thickness smaller than the thickness of the first gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Satou, Chiaki Kudou
  • Publication number: 20080304313
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device comprises a cell array having a plurality of SRAM cells arranged in a bit line direction and a word line direction orthogonal to said bit line direction in a matrix; and a peripheral circuit arranged adjacent to the cell array in the bit line direction. The cell array includes first P-well regions and first N-well regions shaped in stripes extending in the bit line direction and arranged alternately in the word line direction. The SRAM cell is formed point-symmetrically in the first P-well region and the first N-well regions located on both sides thereof. The peripheral circuit includes second P-well regions and second N-well regions extending in the bit line direction and arranged alternately in the word line direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Gou Fukano
  • Publication number: 20080290423
    Abstract: Nanotube-based switching elements and logic circuits. Under one aspect, a switching element includes an input node; an output node; a nanotube channel element comprising a ribbon of nanotube fabric; and a control electrode disposed in relation to the nanotube channel element to form an electrically conductive channel between the input node and the output node, wherein the electrically conductive channel at least includes the nanotube channel element. Under another aspect, a switching element includes an input node; an output node; a nanotube channel element comprising at least one electrically conductive nanotube, the nanotube being clamped at both ends by a clamping structure; and a control electrode disposed in relation to the nanotube channel element to form an electrically conductive channel between the input node and the output node, wherein the electrically conductive channel at least includes the nanotube channel element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: Nantero, Inc.
    Inventors: Claude L. Bertin, Thomas Rueckes, Brent M. Segal
  • Patent number: 7456480
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an input terminal, a first aging device whose source is connected to the input terminal to turn on at ?1 and turn off at ?2 (>?1), a second aging device whose source is connected to the input terminal, whose gate is connected to the drain of the first aging device, and whose drain is connected to the gate of the first aging device to turn on at ?3 and turn off at ?4 (>?3), a first switch whose one terminal is connected to the drain of the first aging device to turn off when the second aging device is on, a second switch whose one terminal is connected to the drain of the second aging device to turn off when the first aging device is on, and an output terminal connected to the other terminals of the first and second switch elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hiroshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7453126
    Abstract: A metal supplying an N well voltage is provided in a first metal interconnection layer. The metal is electrically coupled to an active layer provided in an N well region by shared contacts so that the N well voltage is supplied to the N well region. A metal supplying a P well voltage is provided in a third metal interconnection layer. The metal supplying the N well voltage is formed using a metal in the first metal interconnection layer and thus does not require a piling region to the underlayer, and only a piling region to the underlayer of the metal for the P well voltage needs to be secured. Therefore, the length in the Y direction of a power feed cell can be reduced thereby reducing the layout area of the power feed cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Yuichiro Ishii
  • Publication number: 20080277739
    Abstract: A fin FET array includes a number of fins 12 and a switch FET 52 between fins 12. The switch FET 52 acts to divide the transistor array into first 42 and second 44 FINFET regions having first 46 and second 48 gate electrodes controllably connected through the switch FET 52. Suitable voltages applied between the gate of the switch FET and the substrate 10 can allow the fin FET array either to act as a plurality of separate FETs or as a single device. A method of making the fin FET array to reduce the number of additional steps to fabricate the switch FET 52 is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Gilberto Curatola
  • Publication number: 20080251860
    Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a semiconductor memory device that can be manufactured by a MOS process and can realize a stable operation. A storage transistor has impurity diffusion regions, a channel formation region, a charge accumulation node, a gate oxide film, and a gate electrode. The gate electrode is connected to a gate line and the impurity diffusion region is connected to a source line. The storage transistor creates a state where holes are accumulated in the charge accumulation node and a state where the holes are not accumulated in the charge accumulation node to thereby store data “1” and data “0”, respectively. An access transistor has impurity diffusion regions, a channel formation region, a gate oxide film, and a gate electrode. The impurity diffusion region is connected to a bit line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventors: Fukashi Morishita, Kazutami Arimoto
  • Patent number: 7432562
    Abstract: The invention includes SRAM constructions comprising at least one transistor device having an active region extending into a crystalline layer comprising Si/Ge. A majority of the active region within the crystalline layer is within a single crystal of the crystalline layer, and in particular aspects an entirety of the active region within the crystalline layer is within a single crystal of the crystalline layer. The SRAM constructions can be formed in semiconductor on insulator assemblies, and such assemblies can be supported by a diverse range of substrates, including, for example, glass, semiconductor substrates, metal, insulative materials, and plastics. The invention also includes electronic systems comprising SRAM constructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Arup Bhattacharyya
  • Patent number: 7411256
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device is provided, which involves inhibiting a pattern change in the node interconnect and an increase of number of manufacturing process, when the capacitor is additionally installed in the SRAM, while providing higher reliability in the node interconnect. There is provided a semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising: a node interconnect (lower capacitance electrode), being embedded in a trench formed in an interlayer insulating film provided on a semiconductor substrate, a surface of said lower capacitance electrode being formed to be substantially coplanar to a surface of the interlayer insulating film; and a capacitor, including: a capacitance insulating film, being flatly formed on a surface of the interlayer insulating film; and an upper capacitance electrode, being flatly formed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Shingo Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20080173955
    Abstract: A first transfer transistor includes a first diffusion layer connected to a first bit line, and a second diffusion layer connected to a first storage node, the first diffusion layer is provided in a substrate, the second diffusion layer is provided in a bottom part of a recess provided in the substrate, a channel region of the first transfer transistor is offset with respect to the second diffusion layer toward the first storage node, and the offset part functions as a resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Atsushi Kawasumi, Tetsu Morooka
  • Publication number: 20080128828
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type. A well layer of the first conductivity type is selectively formed on the semiconductor substrate. A first diffused layer of the second conductivity type is selectively formed on the well layer. A second diffused layer of the second conductivity type is formed on the well layer apart from the first diffused layer. A control electrode is formed on an insulating film between the first diffused layer and the second diffused layer. A main electrode is formed on each of the first diffused layer and the second diffused layer. A first trench is formed in the semiconductor substrate surrounding the well layer. A third diffused layer of the second conductivity type is formed contacting to the first trench. The second diffused layer and the third diffused layer are electrically kept at the same potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Kazutoshi NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 7375402
    Abstract: In deep submicron memory arrays there is noted a relatively steady on current value and, therefore, threshold values of the transistors comprising the memory cell are reduced. This, in turn, results in an increase in the leakage current of the memory cell. With the use of an ever increasing number of memory cells leakage current must be controlled. A method and apparatus using a dynamic threshold voltage control scheme implemented with no more than minor changes to the existing MOS process technology is disclosed. The disclosed invention controls the threshold voltage of MOS transistors. Methods for enhancing the impact of the dynamic threshold control technology using this apparatus are also included. The invention is particularly useful for SRAM, DRAM, and NVM devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Semi Solutions, LLC
    Inventor: Ashok Kumar Kapoor
  • Patent number: 7368788
    Abstract: Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) static random access memory (SRAM) cells include at least a first inverter formed in a fin-shaped pattern of stacked semiconductor regions of opposite conductivity type. In some of these embodiments, the first inverter includes a first conductivity type (e.g., P-type or N-type) MOS load transistor electrically coupled in series with a second conductivity type (e.g., N-type of P-type) MOS driver transistor. The first inverter is arranged so that active regions of the first conductivity type MOS load transistor and the second conductivity type driver transistor are vertically stacked relative to each other within a first portion of a vertical dual-conductivity semiconductor fin structure. This fin structure is surrounded on at least three sides by a wraparound gate electrode, which is configured to modulate conductivity of both the active regions in response to a gate signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zong-Liang Huo, Seung-Jae Baik, In-Seok Yeo, Hong-Sik Yoon, Shi-Eun Kim
  • Patent number: 7361960
    Abstract: A first insulator film and a first polysilicon film are formed on first and second element regions of a semiconductor substrate. The first insulator film and first polysilicon film are removed from the second element region. A second insulator film is formed on the second element region from which the first insulator film and first polysilicon film are removed, and a second polysilicon film is formed on the second insulator film. The first polysilicon film is processed, forming a first gate electrode at the first element region. The second polysilicon film is processed, forming a second gate electrode at the second element region. A silicon nitride film is removed from an element-isolation region. A metal film is formed on the region from which the silicon nitride film has been removed, and connects the first and second gate electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Tsunashima, Kiyotaka Miyano, Yukihiro Ushiku
  • Patent number: 7361961
    Abstract: An integrated circuit having an enhanced on-off swing for pass gate transistors is provided. The integrated circuit includes a core region that includes core transistors and pass gate transistors. The core transistors have a gate oxide associated with a first thickness, the pass transistors having a gate oxide associated with a thickness that is less than the first thickness. In one embodiment, the material used for the gate oxide of the pass gate transistors has a dielectric constant that is greater than four, while the material used for the gate oxide of the core transistors has a dielectric constant that is less than or equal to four. A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Irfan Rahim, Yow-Juang Bill Liu, Jeffrey Watt
  • Patent number: 7358575
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an SRAM device is provided, by which a junction node area is stably secured in a 1T type SRAM device. The method includes forming first and second conductor patterns on a cell area of a semiconductor substrate and a third conductor pattern on a periphery area of the semiconductor substrate, stacking first to third insulating layers over the substrate, forming a spacer on a sidewall of the third conductor pattern in the exposed periphery area, removing the third insulating layer, and forming first and second spacers on sidewalls of the first and second conductor patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Dongbu Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae Woo Kim
  • Patent number: 7329929
    Abstract: Disclosed is a SRAM cell and a method of manufacturing the same. The SRAM cell comprises: a pair of access devices; a pair of pull-up devices; a pair of pull-down devices; and at least one metal plate formed on metal interconnection lines in contact with a substrate, having a dielectric film interposed between the metal plate and the metal interconnection lines, so as to increase a cell capacitance, thereby reducing a soft error rate. Herein, one metal plate may be included in each cell. In this case, the metal plate overlaps with a first one of metal interconnection lines of a node side and a node bar side, while being in contact with a second one of the metal interconnection lines of the node side and the node bar side. Also, two metal plates may be included in each cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Do Woo Kim, Chang Yeol Lee, Myeong Kook Gong
  • Patent number: 7323735
    Abstract: In a complete CMOS SRAM having a memory cell composed of six MISFETs formed over a substrate, a capacitor element having a stack structure is formed of a lower electrode covering the memory cell, an upper electrode, and a capacitor insulating film (dielectric film) interposed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. One electrode (the lower electrode) of the capacitor element is connected to one storage node of a flip-flop circuit, and the other electrode (the upper electrode) is connected to the other storage node. As a result, the storage node capacitance of the memory cell of the SRAM is increased to improve the soft error resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Naotaka Hashimoto, Yutaka Hoshino, Shuji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 7320923
    Abstract: A method for forming a resistor of high value in a semiconductor substrate including forming a stack of a first insulating layer, a first conductive layer, a second insulating layer, and a third insulating layer, the third insulating layer being selectively etchable with respect to the second insulating layer; etching the stack, to expose the substrate and keep the stack in the form of a line; forming insulating spacers on the lateral walls of the line; performing an epitaxial growth of a single-crystal semiconductor on the substrate, on either side of the line; selectively removing the third insulating layer to partially expose the second insulating layer at a predetermined location; and depositing and etching a conductive material to fill the cavity formed by the previous removal of the third insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Crolles 2 SAS
    Inventors: Bertrand Borot, Philippe Coronel
  • Patent number: 7317223
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a memory device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first region formed in a predetermined region of the semiconductor substrate, and in which a plurality of memory transistors are disposed, and a second region adjacent to the first region, and in which a selection transistor is formed to supply a predetermined voltage to the memory transistor. The second region of the substrate may have a higher impurity concentration than an entire region of the substrate other than the second region. Reduced area of the selection transistor can be realized with a shortened channel length, without a decreased threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Weon-Ho Park
  • Patent number: 7309890
    Abstract: A static random access memory (SRAM) cell structure at least comprising a substrate, a transistor, an upper electrode and a capacitor dielectric layer. A device isolation structure is set up in the substrate to define an active region. The active region has an opening. The transistor is set up over the active region of the substrate. The source region of the transistor is next to the opening. The upper electrode is set up over the opening such that the opening is completely filled. The capacitor dielectric layer is set up between the upper electrode and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Tzung-Han Lee, Kuang-Pi Lee, Wen-Jeng Lin, Rern-Hurng Larn
  • Patent number: 7307332
    Abstract: The semiconductor device comprises a gate electrode 112 formed over a semiconductor substrate 10, a sidewall spacer 116 formed on the sidewall of the gate electrode 112, a sidewall spacer 144 formed on the side wall of the gate electrode 112 with the sidewall spacer 116 formed on, and an oxide film 115 formed between the sidewall spacer 116 and the sidewall spacer 144, and the semiconductor substrate 10. The film thickness of the oxide film 115 between the sidewall spacer 144 and the semiconductor substrate 10 is thinner than the film thickness of the oxide film 115 between the sidewall spacer 116 and the semiconductor substrate 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Shinichi Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20070272988
    Abstract: There is disclosed a voltage regulating apparatus with a short settling time and a small current consumption. The voltage regulating apparatus comprises a reference voltage generator including an MOSFET array comprising a plurality of MOSFETs with a structure in which a drain and a source are connected in series with each other, a supply voltage is applied to the drain of the MOSFET located in an end of the MOSFET array and the source of the MOSFET located in another end is grounded, and the reference voltage is a voltage obtained by dividing by the plurality of MOSFETs of the MOSFET array at a predetermined ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong Il Kwon, Joon Hyung Lim, Tah Joon Park
  • Patent number: 7286389
    Abstract: Low-power, all-p-channel enhancement-type metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (PMOSFET) SRAM cells are disclosed. A PMOSFET SRAM cell is disclosed. The SRAM cell can include a latch having first and second PMOSFETs for storing data. Further, a gate of the first PMOSFET is connected to a drain of the second PMOSFET at a first memory node. A gate of the second PMOSFET is connected to a drain of the first PMOSFET at a second memory node. The SRAM cell can also include third and fourth PMOSFETs forming a pull-down circuit. A source of the third PMOSFET is connected to the first memory node. Further, a source of the fourth PMOSFET is connected to the second memory node. The SRAM cell can include access circuitry for accessing data at the first and second memory nodes for read or write operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Pramod Kolar, Hisham Z. Massoud
  • Patent number: 7285832
    Abstract: A multiport memory cell (200, 300, 600) includes a first word line (WL1) coupled to a gate electrode of a first transistor (201, 301, 601). A second word line (WL2) is coupled to a gate electrode of a second transistor (202, 302, 602). Importantly, the memory cell (200, 300, 600) includes a conductive path (215, 315) between an electrically floating body (426) of the first transistor (201) and an electrically floating body (426) of the second transistor (202). The first word line (WL1) may overlie a first portion of a common body (426) and the second word line (WL2) may overlie a second portion of the common body (426). The common body (426) may be positioned vertically between a buried oxide layer (427) and a gate dielectric layer (430) and laterally between first and second source/drain regions (401, 407) formed in a semiconductor layer (425).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Inventors: Alexander B. Hoefler, James D. Burnett
  • Patent number: 7279926
    Abstract: In general, this disclosure is directed to circuitry for implementation of headswitches and footswitches in an ASIC for power management. The disclosed circuitry supports not only effective power management, but also efficient use of ASIC area, reduced complexity, and the use of electronic design automation (EDA) tools. In this manner, the disclosed circuitry can support enhanced performance and simplified ASIC design. In some cases, headswitch or footswitch circuitry may be implemented as a switch pad ring that extends around a hard macro forming part of an ASIC core. In other cases, headswitch or footswitch circuitry can be distributed within an ASIC core by embedding distributed headswitch or footswitch components under metal layer power routing coupled to standard cell rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incoporated
    Inventors: Matthew Levi Severson, Chih-tung Chen, Geoffrey Shippee, Sorin Dobre
  • Patent number: 7271452
    Abstract: An analog switch has a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit has an NMOS and PMOS connected in series, and the second circuit has a PMOS and NMOS connected in series. The first and second circuits are provided in parallel between an input terminal and output terminal of the analog switch. The gate of each NMOS is connected to a terminal to which a first clock signal is supplied, and the gate of each PMOS is connected to another terminal to which a second clock signal is supplied. The second clock signal is a reversal of the first clock signal. When the analog switch is set to the OFF state and a voltage that is above the supply potential is applied to the input terminal, the NMOSs become reverse-biased diodes. Therefore, an off leak current is not produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuru Arai
  • Patent number: 7271436
    Abstract: Flash memory integrated circuit devices include an integrated circuit substrate. A cell array on the integrated circuit substrate includes a plurality of cell transistors. A bit line is coupled to ones of the plurality of cell transistors and a first pass transistor is coupled to the bit line. The first pass transistor has a first diffusion structure configured to provide a breakdown voltage higher than that of a second diffusion structure. One or more second pass transistor(s) are coupled to the first pass transistor. The second pass transistor(s) have the second diffusion structure. The second diffusion structure may have a resistance smaller than a resistance of the first diffusion structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-Hyun Lee, Sang-Pil Sim, Seung-Keun Lee
  • Publication number: 20070181958
    Abstract: A semiconductor device such as a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) cell includes an access transistor. A drain of the access transistor includes a first N-type impurity and a second N-type impurity. The diffusion coefficient of the first N-type impurity is smaller than the diffusion coefficient of the second N-type impurity. By providing a drain as described above, hot carrier effects within the access transistor may be minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyuck-Chai JUNG
  • Publication number: 20070181957
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with at least one protruding impurity region and a method for manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device includes bulk transistors formed on a semiconductor substrate and an interlayer insulation layer covering the bulk transistor. At least one thin film transistor is formed on the interlayer insulation layer including impurity regions adjacent thereto. At least one impurity region of the thin film transistor protrudes higher than the other impurity region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung-Jin KIM, Seung-Hyun PARK, Sang-Jong KIM, Ryu-Tan CHOI
  • Patent number: 7227234
    Abstract: An IC includes both “volatile” CMOS transistors (FETs) and embedded non-volatile memory (NVM) cells, both including polysilicon gate structures, sidewall oxide layers, sidewall spacer structures, and source/drain regions. The sidewall spacers of both the NVM cells and the FETs are made up of a spacer material with local charge storage nodes that is capable of storing electrical charge (e.g., silicon-nitride with traps or oxide with silicon nanocrystals). The source/drain regions of the NVM cells omit lightly-doped drains (which are used in the CMOS FETs), and the NVM cells are formed with thinner sidewall oxide layers than the CMOS FETs to facilitate programming/erasing operations. A production method includes a modified CMOS process flow where the CMOS FET gate structures receive different source/drain diffusions and oxides than the NVM gate structures, but both receive substantially identical sidewall spacers, which are used as charge storage structures in the NVM cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Tower Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Yakov Roizin, Amos Fenigstein
  • Patent number: 7221031
    Abstract: According to some embodiments of the invention, a substrate doped with a P type impurity is provided. An N type impurity is doped into the substrate to divide the substrate into a P type impurity region and an N type impurity region. Active patterns having a first pitch are formed in the P type and N type impurity regions. Gate patterns having a second pitch are formed on the active patterns in a direction substantially perpendicular to the active patterns. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Man-Hyoung Ryoo, Gi-Sung Yeo, Si-Hyeung Lee, Gyu-Chul Kim, Sung-Gon Jung, Chang-Min Park, Hoo-Sung Cho
  • Patent number: 7199433
    Abstract: In a complete CMOS SRAM having a memory cell composed of six MISFETs formed over a substrate, a capacitor element having a stack structure is formed of a lower electrode covering the memory cell, an upper electrode, and a capacitor insulating film (dielectric film) interposed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. One electrode (the lower electrode) of the capacitor element is connected to one storage node of a flip-flop circuit, and the other electrode (the upper electrode) is connected to the other storage node. As a result, the storage node capacitance of the memory cell of the SRAM is increased to improve the soft error resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Naotaka Hashimoto, Yutaka Hoshino, Shuji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 7193278
    Abstract: Unit cells of a static random access memory (SRAM) are provided including an integrated circuit substrate and first and second active regions. The first active region is provided on the integrated circuit substrate and has a first portion and a second portion. The second portion is shorter than the first portion. The first portion has a first end and a second end and the second portion extends out from the first end of the first portion. The second active region is provided on the integrated circuit substrate. The second active region has a third portion and a fourth portion. The fourth portion is shorter than the third portion. The third portion is remote from the first portion of the first active region and has a first end and a second end. The fourth portion extends out from the second end of the third portion towards the first portion of the first active region and is remote from the second portion of the first active region. Methods of forming SRAM cells are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seung-Heon Song
  • Patent number: 7190009
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device in which the thresholds of gate electrodes in transistors can be adjusted together for each of regions having their own functions different from one another. The semiconductor device is provided with: a P-type Si substrate 109; a P-type annular well 181 provided in the element formation surface side of the P-type Si substrate 109; and a N-type annular well 183 provided inside the P-type annular well 181. Moreover, an SRAM-P-type well 185 and an SRAM-N-type well 189 are provided inside the N-type annular well 183. A deep N-type well 133 is provided nearer to the bottom side of the P-type Si substrate 109 than the SRAM-P-type well 185 and the SRAM-N-type well 189. A plurality of P-type wells 103 are provided outside the P-type annular well 181, and a N-type 101 is provided in such a way that the well 101 encloses the outside faces of the P-type wells 103.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Sadaaki Masuoka
  • Patent number: 7166896
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a cross diffusion barrier layer sandwiched between a gate layer and an electrode layer. The gate layer has a first gate portion of doped polysilicon of first conductivity type adjacent to a second gate portion doped polysilicon of second conductivity type. The cross diffusion barrier layer includes a combination of silicon and nitrogen. The cross diffusion barrier layer adequately prevents cross diffusion between the first and second gate portions while causing no substantial increase in the resistance of the gate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Chih-Chen Cho, Robert Burke, Anuradha Iyengar, Eugene R. Gifford
  • Patent number: 7135746
    Abstract: SRAM cells having landing pads in contact with upper and lower cell gate patterns, and methods of forming the same are provided. The SRAM cells and the methods remove the influence resulting from structural characteristics of the SRAM cells having vertically stacked upper and lower gate patterns, for stably connecting the patterns on the overall surface of the semiconductor substrate. An isolation layer isolating at least one lower active region is formed in a semiconductor substrate of the cell array region. The lower active region has two lower cell gate patterns. A body pattern is disposed in parallel with the semiconductor substrate. The body pattern is formed to confine an upper active region, which has upper cell gate patterns on the lower cell gate patterns. A landing pad is disposed between the lower cell gate patterns. A node pattern is formed to simultaneously contact the upper cell gate pattern and the lower cell gate pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Jin Kim, Soon-Moon Jung, Won-Seok Cho, Jae-Hoon Jang, Kun-Ho Kwak, Jong-Hyuk Kim, Jae-Joo Shim
  • Patent number: 7122868
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor integrated circuit device that reduces charging and discharging currents flowing through clock tree synthesis, thereby reducing current consumption of entire circuits of the semiconductor integrated circuit device. In a semiconductor integrated circuit device including a clock synchronous type circuit that operates in synchronization with either of rising and falling edges flank of a reference clock and a plurality of clock buffer circuits for distributing the reference clock to the clock synchronous type circuit, each clock buffer circuit is constituted from a first transistor that drives a load at one of the edges flank of the reference clock with which the clock synchronous type circuit does not operate in synchronization and a second transistor that drives the load at the other edge flank of the reference clock. A gate width of the first transistor is set so that a change in the edge flank is slowed down, provided that a pulse waveform of the reference clock is not destroyed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Takao Honda
  • Patent number: 7112831
    Abstract: Ternary CAM cells are provided. The ternary CAM cell includes a pair of half cells. Each of the half cells includes an isolation layer formed at a predetermined region of a semiconductor substrate to define a match cell active region. A search gate electrode and a node gate electrode are placed to cross over the match cell active region. A match line is electrically connected to the match cell active region, which is adjacent to the node gate electrode and is located opposite the search gate electrode. An SRAM cell is provided at the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the match cell active region. The node gate electrode is electrically connected to one of a pair of storage nodes of the SRAM cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Ho Kim, Jong-Mil Youn, Bong-Hyun Choi
  • Patent number: 7098478
    Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor memory device comprising a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines, and a plurality of static memory cells each having a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth transistors. While each of channels of the first, second, third, and fourth transistors are formed vertical against a substrate of the semiconductor memory device. Each of semiconductor regions forming a source or a drain of the fifth and sixth transistors forms a PN junction against the substrate. According to another aspect of the invention, the SRAM device of the invention has a plurality of SRAM cells, at least one of which is a vertical SRAM cell comprising at least four vertical transistors onto a substrate, and each vertical transistor includes a source, a drain, and a channel therebetween aligning in one aligning line which penetrates into the substrate surface at an angle greater than zero degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Norikatsu Takaura, Hideyuki Matsuoka, Riichiro Takemura, Kousuke Okuyama, Masahiro Moniwa, Akio Nishida, Kota Funayama, Tomonori Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 7078774
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a cell array having matrix-like arrayed plural SRAMs on a semiconductor substrate having an N-well and P-well. The N-well and the P-well are isolated from each other with an isolation region each having a shallow trench structure. Each memory cell includes two CMOS inverter circuits having input and output nodes making a cross-coupled connection. First and second capacitors are connected between each gate node of two CMOS inverter circuits and the N-well and/or N-well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kondo, Katsumasa Hayashi, Tomoya Osaki, Seishi Irie
  • Patent number: 7045864
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device, e.g., a memory cell of an SRAM, is formed of a pair of inverters having their input and output points connected in a crisscross manner and being formed of drive n-channel MISFETs and load p-channel MISFETs. The n-channel MISFETs and p-channel MISFETs have their back gates supplied with power supply voltage and a ground voltage, respectively. The MISFETs are formed with a metal silicide layer on the gate electrodes G and source regions (hatched areas) and without the formation of a metal silicide layer on the drain regions, respectively, whereby the leakage current of the MISFETs due to a voltage difference between the drain regions and wells can be reduced, and, thus, the power consumption can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignees: Renesas Technology Corp., Hitachi ULSI Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kota Funayama, Yasuko Yoshida, Masaru Nakamichi, Akio Nishida