For Structural Parameters, E.g., Thickness, Line Width, Refractive Index, Temperature, Warp, Bond Strength, Defects, Optical Inspection, Electrical Measurement Of Structural Dimensions, Metallurgic Measurement Of Diffusions (epo) Patents (Class 257/E21.53)
-
Publication number: 20120231557Abstract: The present invention aims to provides a method of manufacturing a film for a semiconductor device in which a dicing film, a die bond film, and a protecting film are laminated in this order, including the steps of: irradiating the die bond film with a light ray having a wavelength of 400 to 800 nm to detect the position of the die bond film based on the obtained light transmittance and punching the dicing film out based on the detected position of the die bond film, and in which T2/T1 is 0.04 or more, wherein T1 is the light transmittance of the portion where the dicing film and the protecting film are laminated and T2 is the light transmittance of the portion where the dicing film, the die bond film, and the protecting film are laminated.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Inventors: Koichi INOUE, Miki MORITA, Yuichiro SHISHIDO
-
Publication number: 20120228743Abstract: Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices and methods of optical proximity correction methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes determining an amount of reactive ion etch (RIE) lag of a RIE process for a material layer of the semiconductor device, and adjusting a size of at least one pattern for a feature of the material layer by an adjustment amount to partially compensate for the amount of RIE lag determined.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AGInventors: O Seo Park, Wai-Kin Li
-
Publication number: 20120231560Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting device having a thinned structure comprises a thinned structure formed between a semiconductor light-emitting structure and a carrier. The manufacturing method comprises the steps of forming a semiconductor light-emitting structure above a substrate; attaching the semiconductor light-emitting structure to a support; thinning the substrate to form a thinned structure; forming or attaching a carrier to the thinned substrate; and removing the support.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Inventors: Min-Hsun Hsieh, Chih-Chiang Lu, Chien-Yuan Wang, Yen-Wen Chen, Jui-Hung Yeh, Shih-Chin Hung, Yu-Wei Tu, Chun-Yi Wu, Wei-Chih Peng
-
Publication number: 20120225501Abstract: Provided is a three-dimensional semiconductor device. The three-dimensional semiconductor device includes a body in which a plurality of semiconductor chips or packages are stacked, a protective substrate configured to protect an outer layer chip or package of the body and configured to transmit a laser beam, and a fuse pattern portion having a pattern of a fuse function formed to cut off an electrical connection of a defective chip or package by the laser beam penetrating the protective substrate when at least one of the chips or packages is defective.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2012Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: EPWORKS CO., LTD.Inventor: Gu-Sung Kim
-
Publication number: 20120225503Abstract: A method is provided including depositing a layer of material on a substrate, during deposition of the material, at a predetermined depth, laterally implanting a first dopant and a second dopant in the material, the second dopant being different from the first dopant, etching the material, during etching, detecting the positions and intensities of the first and second dopants, and calculating lateral homogeneity of the material in situ from the intensities of the first and second dopants.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2012Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.Inventors: Dmytro CHUMAKOV, Peter BAARS
-
Publication number: 20120220058Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes preparing a layout of the semiconductor device, obtaining contrast of an exposure image of the layout through a simulation under a condition of using a crosspole illumination system, separating the layout into a plurality of sub-layouts based on the contrast of the exposure image, forming a photomask having a mask pattern corresponding to the plurality of sub-layouts, and performing an exposure process using the photomask under an exposure condition of using a dipole illumination system.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2012Publication date: August 30, 2012Inventors: Jee-eun JUNG, Kyoung-yun Baek, Seong-woon Choi
-
Patent number: 8252608Abstract: A sample with at least a first structure and a second structure is measured and a first model and a second model of the sample are generated. The first model models the first structure as an independent variable and models the second structure. The second model of the sample models the second structure as an independent variable. The measurement, the first model and the second model together to determine at least one desired parameter of the sample. For example, the first structure may be on a first layer and the second structure may be on a second layer that is under the first layer, and the processing of the sample may at least partially remove the first layer, wherein the second model models the first layer as having a thickness of zero.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2011Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Nanometrics IncorporatedInventors: Ye Feng, Zhuan Liu
-
Patent number: 8252609Abstract: A method for reducing curvature of a wafer having a semiconductor surface. One or more process steps are identified at which wafers exhibit the largest curvature, and/or wafer curvature that may reduce die yield. A crystal damaging process converts at least a portion of the semiconductor surface into at least one amorphous surface region After or contemporaneously with the crystal damaging, the amorphous surface region is recrystallized by recrystallization annealing that anneals the wafer for a time ?5 seconds at a temperature sufficient for recrystallization of the amorphous surface region. A subsequent photolithography step is facilitated due to the reduction in average wafer curvature provided by the recrystallization.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2010Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Brian K. Kirkpatrick, Steven L. Prins, Amitabh Jain
-
Publication number: 20120214259Abstract: Experience shows that, in a material containing oxygen as a main component, an excess or deficiency of trace amounts of oxygen with respect to a stoichiometric composition, or the like affects properties of the material. An oxygen diffusion evaluation method of an oxide film stacked body includes the steps of: measuring a quantitative value of one of oxygen isotopes of a substrate including a first oxide film and a second oxide film which has an existence proportion of an oxygen isotope different from an existence proportion of an oxygen isotope in the first oxide film in a depth direction, by secondary ion mass spectrometry; and evaluating the one of the oxygen isotopes diffused from the first oxide film to the second oxide film.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2011Publication date: August 23, 2012Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yutaka Okazaki, Keitaro Imai, Atsuo Isobe, Shunpei Yamazaki
-
Publication number: 20120208302Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a SiC semiconductor device achieving improved performance. The method for manufacturing the SiC semiconductor device includes the following steps. That is, a SiC semiconductor is prepared which has a first surface having at least a portion into which impurities are implanted. By cleaning the first surface of the SiC semiconductor, a second surface is formed. On the second surface, a Si-containing film is formed. By oxidizing the Si-containing film, an oxide film constituting the SiC semiconductor device is formed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2011Publication date: August 16, 2012Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Satomi Itoh, Hiromu Shiomi, Yasuo Namikawa, Keiji Wada, Mitsuru Shimazu, Toru Hiyoshi
-
Patent number: 8241988Abstract: A photo key has a plurality of first regions spaced apart from one another on a semiconductor substrate, and a second region surrounding the first regions, and one of the first regions and the second region constitutes a plurality of photo key regions spaced apart from one another. Each of the photo key regions includes a plurality of first conductive patterns spaced apart from one another; and a plurality of second conductive patterns interposed between the first conductive patterns.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2011Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Byoung-ho Kwon, Chang-ki Hong, Bo-un Yoon, Jae-dong Lee, Sang-jin Kim
-
Patent number: 8242499Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor device includes the steps of preparing an SOQ (Silicon On Quartz) substrate in which a semiconductor layer is formed on a quartz substrate; forming a plurality of semiconductor device forming regions in the SOQ substrate; forming a crack inspection pattern in the SOQ substrate; inspecting the crack inspection pattern to detect a crack in the crack inspection pattern in a first inspection step; and inspecting the semiconductor device forming regions to detect a crack in the semiconductor device forming regions in a second inspection step when the crack is detected in the crack inspection pattern in the first inspection step.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2009Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Toshio Nagata
-
Publication number: 20120202301Abstract: A disclosed method of forming a mask pattern includes forming a first resist film on a film to be etched, opening portions on the first resist film at a predetermined pitch, a first film on the first resist film so as to cover sidewalls of the first opening portions, a second resist film, second opening portions alternately arranged with the first opening portions on the second resist film, and a second film on the second resist film so as to cover sidewalls of the second opening portions, and removing a part of the second film so that the second film is left as first sidewall portions, a part of the first resist film using the first sidewall portions as a mask to form third opening portions, and a part of the first film while leaving the first film as second sidewall portions to form fourth opening portions.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2012Publication date: August 9, 2012Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventor: Hidetami YAEGASHI
-
Publication number: 20120202300Abstract: A method for assembling integrated circuit (IC) devices includes dispensing a die attach adhesive onto a surface of a workpiece using a die bonding system, and placing an IC die on the die attach adhesive at surface of the workpiece to form an IC device. A pre-cure bond line thickness (pre-cure BLT) value is automatically optically measured for the die attach adhesive. The IC device is unloaded from the die bonding system after automatically optically measuring. The method can include comparing the pre-cure BLT value to a pre-cure BLT specification range, and if the pre-cure BLT value is outside the pre-cure BLT specification range, adjusting at least one die attach adhesive dispensing parameter based on the pre-cure BLT value for subsequent assembling. The adjusting can be automatic adjusting and the adjustment can be to the Z height parameter of the bond arm.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2011Publication date: August 9, 2012Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATEDInventors: Frank Yu, Eric Hsieh, Twu Ares, Wei-Lung Hsu
-
Publication number: 20120199830Abstract: Temperatures in microelectronic integrated circuit packages and components may be measured in situ using carbon nanotube networks. An array of carbon nanotubes strung between upstanding structures may be used to measure local temperature. Because of the carbon nanotubes, a highly accurate temperature measurement may be achieved. In some cases, the carbon nanotubes and the upstanding structures may be secured to a substrate that is subsequently attached to a microelectronic package.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2012Publication date: August 9, 2012Inventors: Nachiket R. Raravikar, Neha Patel
-
Publication number: 20120202303Abstract: The disclosure provides a customized manufacturing method for an optoelectrical device. The customized manufacturing method comprises the steps of providing a manufacturing flow including a front-end flow, a customized module subsequent to the front-end flow, and a pause step between the front-end flow and the customized module, processing a predetermined amount of semi-manufactured products queued at the pause step, tuning the customized module in accordance with a customer's request, and processing the semi-manufactured products by the tuned customized module to fulfill the customer's request.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2012Publication date: August 9, 2012Applicant: EPISTAR CORPORATIONInventor: Min-Hsun Hsieh
-
Patent number: 8236580Abstract: A method of monitoring copper contamination. The method includes method, comprising: (a) ion-implanting an N-type dopant into a region of single-crystal silicon substrate, the region abutting a top surface of the substrate; (c) activating the N-type dopant by annealing the substrate at a temperature of 500° C. or higher in an inert atmosphere; (c) submerging, for a present duration of time, the substrate into an aqueous solution, the aqueous solution to be monitored for copper contamination; and (d) determining an amount of copper adsorbed from the aqueous solution by the region of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2010Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Jay Sanford Burnham, Joseph Kerry Vaughn Comeau, Leslie Peter Crane, James Randall Elliott, Scott Alan Estes, James Spiros Nakos, Eric Jeffrey White
-
Publication number: 20120193669Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optoelectronic semiconductor component, comprising: providing a semiconductor chip in a composite wafer, comprising an active side for emitting a primary radiation and a contact terminal which is arranged on the active side; depositing a coupling element on the active side; attaching a luminescence conversion element, for converting part of the primary radiation into a secondary radiation, to the coupling element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2010Publication date: August 2, 2012Inventors: Hans-Christoph Gallmeier, Michael Kruppa, Raimund Schwarz, Guenter Spath
-
Publication number: 20120190137Abstract: Provided is a cross section observation method, including the steps of: forming a marker layer at a base material, the marker layer having a conductivity different from that of another portion of the base material; forming a sample, by performing treatment on the base material at which the marker layer is formed; and detecting secondary electrons generated by emitting electrons to a cross section of the sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2011Publication date: July 26, 2012Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Satomi ITO, Takeyoshi MASUDA
-
Publication number: 20120190138Abstract: According to one embodiment, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a first member that holds a first semiconductor substrate; a second member that holds a second semiconductor substrate in a state where a bonding surface of the second semiconductor substrate faces a bonding surface of the first semiconductor substrate; a distance detecting unit that detects a distance between the bonding surface of the first semiconductor substrate and the bonding surface of the second semiconductor substrate; an adjusting unit that adjusts the distance between the bonding surface of the first semiconductor substrate and the bonding surface of the second semiconductor substrate to a predetermined value by moving at least one of the first and second members based on a detection result of the distance detecting unit; and a third member that forms the bonding start point between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2012Publication date: July 26, 2012Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBAInventors: Kazumasa TANIDA, Satoshi Hongo, Naoko Yamaguchi, Kenji Takahashi, Hideo Numata
-
Method for manufacturing semiconductor device or apparatus, and apparatus for manufacturing the same
Patent number: 8216879Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device or apparatus having at least a semiconductor as a component, characterized by including irradiating the semiconductor with light having a longer wavelength than the absorption edge wavelength of the semiconductor to change the threshold voltage of the semiconductor device or apparatus, and checking the threshold voltage of the semiconductor device or apparatus, after or during irradiation with the light, to determine whether the threshold voltage is in a predetermined range, during manufacturing the semiconductor device or apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2009Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Nobuyuki Kaji, Masato Ofuji, Yasuyoshi Takai, Takehiko Kawasaki, Norio Kaneko, Ryo Hayashi -
Publication number: 20120168719Abstract: To provide an epitaxial substrate for electronic devices, in which current flows in a lateral direction, which enables accurate measurement of the sheet resistance of HEMTs without contact, and to provide a method of efficiently producing the epitaxial substrate for electronic devices, the method characteristically includes the steps of forming a barrier layer against impurity diffusion on one surface of a high-resistance Si-single crystal substrate, forming a buffer as an insulating layer on the other surface of the high-resistance Si-single crystal substrate, producing an epitaxial substrate by epitaxially growing a plurality of III-nitride layers on the buffer to form a main laminate, and measuring resistance of the main laminate of the epitaxial substrate without contact.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2010Publication date: July 5, 2012Applicant: DOWA ELECTRONICS MATERIALS CO., LTD.Inventors: Tetsuya Ikuta, Daisuke Hino, Ryo Sakamoto, Tomohiko Shibata
-
Publication number: 20120168823Abstract: The present application discloses a semiconductor device and a method for forming the same. The method comprises: providing a first semiconductor layer and forming a first STI in the first semiconductor layer; determining a selected region in the first semiconductor layer, and making a portion of the first semiconductor layer in the selected region recessed; and in the selected region, epitaxially growing a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, wherein the material of the second semiconductor layer is different from that of the first semiconductor layer. According to the present invention, a structure with a second semiconductor layer selectively epitaxially grown and embedded in the first semiconductor layer can be formed by a simple process, and defects generated during the epitaxial growth process can be further reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2011Publication date: July 5, 2012Inventors: Zhijiong Luo, Haizhou Yin, Huilong Zhu
-
Publication number: 20120161155Abstract: A main surface of a silicon carbide substrate is inclined by an off angle in an off direction from {0001} plane of a hexagonal crystal. The main surface has such a characteristic that, among emitting regions emitting photoluminescent light having a wavelength exceeding 650 nm of the main surface caused by excitation light having higher energy than band-gap of the hexagonal silicon carbide, the number of those having a dimension of at most 15 ?m in a direction perpendicular to the off direction and a dimension in a direction parallel to the off direction not larger than a value obtained by dividing penetration length of the excitation light in the hexagonal silicon carbide by a tangent of the off angle is at most 1Ă—104 per 1 cm2. Accordingly, reverse leakage current can be reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2011Publication date: June 28, 2012Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Shin HARADA, Tsubasa Honke
-
Patent number: 8206996Abstract: A method for providing a process indicator for an etching chamber is provided. A wafer with a blanket etch layer is provided into the etching chamber. A blanket etch is performed on the blanket etch layer. A blanket deposition layer is deposited over the blanket etch layer after performing the blanket etch has been completed. A thickness of the blanket etch layer and a thickness of the blanket deposition layer is measured. The measured thicknesses are used to determine a process indicator.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2009Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Keren Jacobs Kanarik, Jorge Luque, Nicholas Webb
-
Publication number: 20120156811Abstract: A pattern of conductive ink is disposed on the topside of the unsingulated integrated circuits of a wafer, and, typically after wafer probing, the pattern of conductive ink is removed. The conductive ink pattern provides an electrical pathway between bond pads on an integrated circuit and large contact pads disposed on the topside of the integrated circuit. Each of the large contact pads is much greater in area than the corresponding bond pads, and are spaced apart so that the pitch of the large contact pads is much greater than that of the bond pads. In one aspect of the present invention, the conductive ink includes a mixture of conductive particles and wafer bonding thermoset plastic. In another aspect of the present invention, the conductive ink is heated and disposed on a wafer by an ink jet printing system.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2011Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: Advanced Inquiry Systems, Inc.Inventor: Morgan T. Johnson
-
Publication number: 20120153402Abstract: When forming sophisticated transistors requiring an embedded semiconductor alloy, the cavities may be formed with superior uniformity on the basis of, for instance, crystallographically anisotropic etch steps by providing a uniform oxide layer in order to reduce process related fluctuations or queue time variations. The uniform oxide layer may be formed on the basis of an APC control regime.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2011Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: GLOBAL FOUNDRIES Inc.Inventors: Stephan Kronholz, Andreas Ott, Ina Ostermay
-
Publication number: 20120153281Abstract: A semiconductor target for determining a relative shift between two or more successive layers of a substrate is provided. The target comprises a plurality of first structures formed in a first layer, and the first structures have a first center of symmetry (COS). The target further comprises a plurality of second structures formed in a second layer, and the second structures have second COS. The difference between the first COS and the second COS corresponds to an overlay error between the first and second layer and wherein the first and second structures have a 180° rotational symmetry, without having a 90° rotational symmetry, with respect to the first and second COS, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2012Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: KLA-TENCOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventor: Mark GHINOVKER
-
Publication number: 20120156809Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a light emission part 10 generating EUV light by plasma excitation of a predetermined atom, a condenser part 20 condensing the EUV light emitted from the light emission part, an exposure part 30 irradiating a substrate via a mask with the EUV light condensed by the condenser part, a first plasma position monitor 11a detecting the position of an emission point of the EUV light within the light emission part, and a light emission part drive unit 13 adjusting the position of the light emission part. The exposure apparatus determines a first shift amount between the emission point detected by the plasma position monitor and a reference light emission position, and drives the light emission part drive unit according to the first shift amount.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2011Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATIONInventor: Seiichiro SHIRAI
-
Patent number: 8202739Abstract: A semiconductor device is formed by implanting recess markers in a material during deposition and using the recess markers during etching of the material for precise in-situ removal rate definition and removal homogeneity-over-radius definition. An embodiment includes depositing a layer of material on a substrate, implanting first and second dopants in the material at first and second predetermined times during deposition of the material, etching the material, detecting the depths of the first and second dopants during etching, calculating the removal rate of the material in situ from the depths of the first and second dopants, and determining from the removal rate a stop position for etching.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2010Date of Patent: June 19, 2012Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.Inventors: Dmytro Chumakov, Peter Baars
-
Publication number: 20120149137Abstract: In embodiments of the current invention, methods of combinatorial processing and a test chip for use in these methods are described. These methods and test chips enable the efficient development of materials, processes, and process sequence integration schemes for semiconductor manufacturing processes. In general, the methods simplify the processing sequence of forming devices or partially formed devices on a test chip such that the devices can be tested immediately after formation. The immediate testing allows for the high throughput testing of varied materials, processes, or process sequences on the test chip. The test chip has multiple site isolated regions where each of the regions is varied from one another and the test chip is designed to enable high throughput testing of the different regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2012Publication date: June 14, 2012Applicant: Intermolecular, IncInventors: Gaurav Verma, Kurt Weiner, Prashant Phatak, Imran Hashim, Sandra Malhotra, Tony Chiang
-
Publication number: 20120150478Abstract: In a method of testing an object, a first test pattern for testing a first device in the object may be set in a tester. A second test pattern for testing a second device in the object may be set in a test head electrically connected between the tester and the object. The first test pattern may be provided to the first device through the test head and the second test pattern may be provided to the second device by the test head to simultaneously test the first device and the second device. Thus, the first device and the second device different from each other may be simultaneously tested without changing test conditions in the tester, so that a time for testing the object may be reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2011Publication date: June 14, 2012Inventors: Ki-Jae Song, Sung-Soo Lee
-
Publication number: 20120149136Abstract: In the fabrication of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, a 2D-3D inspection technique for solder printed on a substrate is provided which permits easy preparation of data and easy visual confirmation of a defective portion. In a substrate inspecting step, first, a 3D inspection is performed, followed by execution of 2D inspection, whereby a 2D picked-up image of the portion of a pad determined to be defective can be displayed on a larger scale simultaneously with the end of inspection, thereby providing an environment for efficient visual confirmation of the defect. Further, by subjecting a raw substrate to measurement at the time of preparing inspection data, a relation between an original height measurement reference generated automatically by the inspection system and the height of a pad upper surface is checked, whereby it is possible to measure the height and volume of printed solder based on the pad upper surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2012Publication date: June 14, 2012Inventor: Norio WATANABE
-
Publication number: 20120149135Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes: forming a first pattern in a first film to be processed on a semiconductor substrate; measuring a first distance, which is a dimension in a predetermined direction in the first pattern; forming a second film to be processed on the first pattern; forming a second pattern in a photoresist formed on the second film to be processed; and measuring a second distance, which is a dimension in a predetermined direction in the second pattern. Whether or not the second pattern is defective is determined based on either the first distance or a value calculated from the first and second distances.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2011Publication date: June 14, 2012Applicant: ELPIDA MEMORY, INC.Inventors: Takashi SUGIMURA, Shinji YANAGI
-
Publication number: 20120146159Abstract: The overlay mark and method for making the same are described. In one embodiment, a semiconductor overlay structure includes gate stack structures formed on the semiconductor substrate and configured as an overlay mark, and a doped semiconductor substrate disposed on both sides of the gate stack structure that includes at least as much dopant as the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the gate stack structure in a device region. The doped semiconductor substrate is formed by at least three ion implantation steps.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2011Publication date: June 14, 2012Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Hsien-Cheng WANG, Ming-Chang WEN, Chun-Kuang CHEN, Yao-Ching KU
-
Patent number: 8198688Abstract: Latchup is prevented from occurring accompanying increasingly finer geometries of a chip. NchMOSFET N1 and PchMOSFET P1 form a CMOS circuit including: NchMOSFET N2 whose gate, drain and back gate are connected to back gate of N1 and PchMOSFET P2 whose gate, drain and back gate are connected to back gate of P1. Source of N2 is connected to source of N1. Source of P2 is connected to source of P1. N2 is always connected between the grounded source of N1 and the back gate of N1, while P2 is connected between source of P1 connected to a power supply and the back gate of P1. Each of N2 and P2 functions as a voltage limiting element (a limiter circuit).Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2010Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Renesas Electronics CorporationInventor: Mototsugu Okushima
-
Publication number: 20120138924Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method for measuring an impurity concentration profile uses a wafer including a semiconductor layer. The method includes measuring an impurity concentration profile in a depth direction from each surface of a plurality of first portions, each of the first portions being included in any one of a plurality of first regions provided in the semiconductor layer. Each of the first regions has a different size and is surrounded by a second region including a second portion having a different structure from the first portion. The method includes determining a change between the impurity concentration profiles measured in the first regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2011Publication date: June 7, 2012Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventor: Kazuya NISHIHORI
-
Patent number: 8193061Abstract: This invention discloses a semiconductor wafer for manufacturing electronic circuit thereon. The semiconductor substrate further includes an etch-back indicator that includes trenches of different sizes having polysilicon filled in the trenches and then completely removed from some of the trenches of greater planar trench dimensions and the polysilicon still remaining in a bottom portion in some of the trenches having smaller planar trench dimensions.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2011Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Alpha & Omega Semiconductor IncorporatedInventors: Yu Wang, Tiesheng Li, Sung-Shan Tai, Hong Chang
-
Patent number: 8193648Abstract: An integrated alignment and overlay mark for detecting the exposed errors of the photolithography process between a pre-layer and a current layer is disclosed. The integrated alignment and overlay mark includes an alignment mark and an overlay mark in the same shot region. The alignment mark is formed surrounding the overlay mark; therefore, the gap or the orientation between the pre-layer and the current layer can be calculated in order to check the alignment accuracy of photolithography process.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2010Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Inotera Memories, Inc.Inventors: Yuan Ku Lan, Chung-Yuan Lee
-
Patent number: 8193008Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor thin film includes the steps of: forming an amorphous semiconductor thin film on a substrate; forming a crystalline semiconductor thin film partially in each element region by applying laser light to the amorphous semiconductor thin film to selectively perform a heating process on the amorphous semiconductor thin film, thereby crystallizing the amorphous semiconductor thin film in a region irradiated with the laser light; and inspecting the crystallinity degree of the crystalline semiconductor thin film. The step of inspecting includes the steps of determining a contrast between the luminance of a crystallized region and the luminance of a non-crystallized region by applying light to the crystalline semiconductor thin film and the amorphous semiconductor thin film, and performing screening of the crystalline semiconductor thin film on the basis of the determined contrast.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2009Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara, Hirohisa Amago, Go Matsunobu, Katsuya Shirai
-
Publication number: 20120135549Abstract: Polishing a nitride semiconductor monocrystalline wafer leaves it with a process-transformed layer. The process-transformed layer has to be etched to be removed. The chemical inertness of nitride semiconductor materials has, however, precluded suitable etching. Although potassium hydroxide, for example, or sulfuric acid have been proposed as GaN etchants, their ability to corrosively remove material from the Ga face is weak. Dry etching utilizing a halogen plasma is carried out in order to remove the process-transformed layer. The Ga face can be etched off with the halogen plasma. Nevertheless, owing to the dry etching, a problem arises again—surface contamination due to metal particles. To address the problem, wet etching with, as the etchant, solutions such as HF+H2O2, H2SO4+H2O2, HCl+H2O2, or HNO3, which are nonselective for Ga/N faces, have metal etching capability, and have an oxidation-reduction potential of 1.2 V or more, is performed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2012Publication date: May 31, 2012Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Masahiro Nakayama, Naoki Matsumoto
-
Publication number: 20120135546Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of microelectronic substrate fabrication and, more particularly, to alignment inspection for vias formed in the microelectronic substrates. The alignment inspection may be achieved by determining the relative positions of fluorescing and non-fluorescing elements in a microelectronic substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2010Publication date: May 31, 2012Inventors: Zhihua Zou, Liang William Zhang, Sheng Li, Tamil Selvy Selvamuniandy
-
Publication number: 20120135547Abstract: A fabricating method and a testing method of a semiconductor device and a mechanical integrity testing apparatus are provided. An object includes a wafer, an insulating layer, and a plurality of conductive posts is provided. A surface of the wafer has a plurality of first blind holes outside chip regions and a plurality of second blind holes inside the chip regions. The insulating layer is between the conductive posts and the walls of the first blind holes and between the conductive posts and the walls of the second blind holes. A mechanical integrity test is performed to test a binding strength between the insulating layer, the conductive posts, and the walls of the first blind holes. The conductive posts in the chip regions are electrically connected to an element after the conductive posts in the first blind holes are qualified in the mechanical integrity test.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2011Publication date: May 31, 2012Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Ming-Che Hsieh, John H. Lau, Ra-Min Tain
-
Publication number: 20120136601Abstract: A method and system includes a first substrate and a second substrate, each substrate comprising a predetermined baseline transmittance value at a predetermine wavelength of light, processing regions on the first substrate by combinatorially varying at least one of materials, process conditions, unit processes, and process sequences associated with the graphene production, performing a first characterization test on the processed regions on the first substrate to generate first results, processing regions on a second substrate in a combinatorial manner by varying at least one of materials, process conditions, unit processes, and process sequences associated with the graphene production based on the first results of the first characterization test, performing a second characterization test on the processed regions on the second substrate to generate second results, and determining whether at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate meet a predetermined quality threshold based on the second resType: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2010Publication date: May 31, 2012Inventors: Charlene Chen, Tony P. Chiang, Chi-I Lang, Yun Wang
-
Publication number: 20120129279Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an imprinting method for applying a first hardening resin material on a substrate to be processed and transferring a pattern of a semiconductor integrated circuit formed on a template onto the substrate to be processed on which the first hardening resin material is applied, wherein a second hardening resin material with higher separability than the first hardening resin material is applied on at least part of the outer periphery of an area in which the pattern is formed by one transferring.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2011Publication date: May 24, 2012Inventors: Yasuo MATSUOKA, Takumi OTA, Ryoichi INANAMI
-
Publication number: 20120129276Abstract: A 4D device comprises a 2D multi-core logic and a 3D memory stack connected through the memory stack sidewall using a fine pitch T&J connection. 3D memory in the stack is thinned from the original wafer thickness to no remaining Si. A tongue and groove device at the memory wafer top and bottom surfaces allows an accurate stack alignment. The memory stack also has micro-channels on the backside to allow fluid cooling, and is further diced at the fixed clock-cycle distance, and flipped on its side and re-assembled on to a template into a pseudo-wafer format. The top side wall of the assembly is polished and built with BEOL to fan-out and use the T&J fine pitch connection to join to the 2D logic wafer. The other side of the memory stack is polished, fanned-out, and bumped with C4 solder. The invention also comprises a process for manufacturing the device.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2012Publication date: May 24, 2012Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Wilfried Haensch, Roy R. Yu
-
Publication number: 20120118225Abstract: Apparatus and method for control of epitaxial growth temperatures during manufacture of light emitting diodes (LEDs). Embodiments include measurement of a substrate and/or carrier temperature during a recipe stabilization period; determination of a temperature drift based on the measurement; and modification of a growth temperature based on a temperature offset determined in response to the temperature drift exceeding a threshold criteria. In an embodiment, a statistic derived from a plurality of pyrometric measurements made during the recipe stabilization over several runs is employed to offset each of a set of growth temperatures utilized to form a multiple quantum well (MQW) structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2011Publication date: May 17, 2012Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Wei-Yung HSU, Alain DUBOUST, Hua CHUNG, Liang-Yuh CHEN, Donald J.K. OLGADO
-
Publication number: 20120115258Abstract: Methods are disclosed for monitoring the amount of metal contamination imparted during wafer processing operations such as polishing and cleaning. The methods include subjecting a silicon-on-insulator structure to the semiconductor process, precipitating metal contamination in the structure and delineating the metal contaminants.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2012Publication date: May 10, 2012Applicant: MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Jeffrey L. Libbert, Lu Fei
-
Patent number: 8173449Abstract: An evaluation area of an evaluation object wafer is concentrically divided in a radial direction, an upper limit value to the number of COPs is set in each divided evaluation segment, and an acceptance determination of the single-crystal silicon wafer is made using the upper limit value as a criterion. Thereby, a quantitative and objective COP evaluation can be made, and a proper determination is made based on a clear criterion. The evaluation method of the present invention can sufficiently deal with automation of the COP evaluation (inspection) and the higher-quality wafer in the near future, and the evaluation method can be widely applied to production of the single-crystal silicon wafer and production of a semiconductor device.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2007Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Sumco CorporationInventor: Shuichi Inami
-
Patent number: RE43652Abstract: In a substrate processing control method, a first process acquires a first-reflectance-spectrum of a beam reflected from the first-fine-structure and a second-reflectance-spectrum of a beam reflected from the second-fine-structure for each of varying-pattern-dimensions of the first-fine-structure when the pattern-dimension of the first-fine-structure is varied. A second process acquires reference-spectrum-data for each of the varying-pattern-dimensions of the first-fine-structure by overlapping the first-reflectance-spectrum with the second-reflectance-spectrum. A third process actually measures beams reflected from the first and the second-fine-structure, respectively, after irradiating light beam on to the substrate and acquiring reflectance-spectrums of the actual-measured beams as actual-measured spectrum data.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2011Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Susumu Saito, Akitaka Shimizu