Selectively Interconnecting (e.g., Customization, Wafer Scale Integration, Etc.) Patents (Class 438/598)
  • Patent number: 8586465
    Abstract: A method for preparing a die for packaging is disclosed. A die having first and second major surfaces is provided. Vias and a mask layer are formed on the first major surface of the die. The mask includes mask openings that expose the vias. The mask openings are filled with a conductive material. The method includes reflowing to at least partially fill the vias and contact openings to form via contacts in the vias and surface contacts in the mask openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: United Test and Assembly Center Ltd
    Inventors: Hao Liu, Yi Sheng Anthony Sun, Ravi Kanth Kolan, Chin Hock Toh
  • Patent number: 8587124
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate on which a structure portion is provided except a peripheral portion thereof, and has a laminated structure including low dielectric films and wiring lines, the low dielectric films having a relative dielectric constant of 3.0 or lower and a glass transition temperature of 400° C. or higher. An insulating film is formed on the structure portion. A connection pad portion is arranged on the insulating film and connected to an uppermost wiring line of the laminated structure portion. A bump electrode is provided on the connection pad portion. A sealing film made of an organic resin is provided on a part of the insulating film which surrounds the pump electrode. Side surfaces of the laminated structure portion are covered with the insulating film and/or the sealing film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Teramikros, Inc.
    Inventors: Aiko Mizusawa, Osamu Okada, Takeshi Wakabayashi, Ichiro Mihara
  • Patent number: 8580669
    Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device is disclosed. A method for forming a semiconductor device includes forming a first bit line contact over a semiconductor substrate, forming a second bit line contact that is coupled to the first bit line contact and has a larger width than the first bit line contact, and forming a bit line over the second bit line contact. When using the semiconductor device having a buried gate, although the bit line is formed to have a small width and the bit line pattern is misaligned, the method prevents incorrect coupling between a bit line and a bit line contact, so that it basically deteriorates unique characteristics of the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Hyun Jung Kim
  • Patent number: 8574964
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a flipchip type semiconductor die with contact pads and substrate with contact pads. A flux material is deposited over the contact pads of the semiconductor die and contact pads of the substrate. A solder tape formed as a continuous body of solder material with a plurality of recesses is disposed between the contact pads of the semiconductor die and substrate. The solder tape is brought to a liquidus state to separate a portion of the solder tape outside a footprint of the contact pads of the semiconductor die and substrate under surface tension and coalesce the solder material as an electrical interconnect substantially within the footprint of the contact pads of the semiconductor die and substrate. The contact pads on the semiconductor die and substrate can be formed with an extension or recess to increase surface area of the contact pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: STATS ChipPAC, Ltd.
    Inventors: SungWon Cho, TaeWoo Lee, DaeSik Choi, KyuWon Lee
  • Patent number: 8569160
    Abstract: Device fabrication is disclosed, including forming a first part of a device at a first fabrication facility as part of a front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) process, the first part of the device comprising a base wafer formed by FEOL processing, and subsequently performing one or more back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) processes at a second fabrication facility to form an IC, the one or more BEOL processes comprising finishing the forming of the device (e.g., an IC including memory) by depositing one or more memory layers on the base wafer. FEOL processing can be used to form active circuitry die (e.g., CMOS circuitry on a Si wafer) and BEOL processing can be used to form on top of each active circuitry die, one or more layers of cross-point memory arrays formed by thin film processing technologies that may or may not be compatible with or identical to some or all of the FEOL processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Darrell Rinerson, Robin Cheung
  • Patent number: 8557644
    Abstract: According to one disclosed embodiment, a monolithic vertically integrated composite device comprises a double sided semiconductor substrate having first and second sides, a group IV semiconductor layer formed over the first side and comprising at least one group IV semiconductor device, and a group III-V semiconductor body formed over the second side and comprising at least one group III-V semiconductor device electrically coupled to the at least one group IV semiconductor device. The composite device may further comprise a substrate via and/or a through-wafer via providing electric coupling. In one embodiment, the group IV semiconductor layer may comprise an epitaxial silicon layer, and the at least one group IV semiconductor device may be a combined FET and Schottky diode (FETKY) fabricated on the epitaxial silicon layer. In one embodiment, the at least one group III-V semiconductor device may be a III-nitride high electron mobility transistor (HEMT).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Publication number: 20130257478
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the integrated circuit has a L-level permutable switching network (L-PSN) comprising L levels of intermediate conductors. The integrated circuit can be used in electronic devices, such as switching networks, routers, and programmable logic circuits, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventors: Peter M. Pani, Benjamin S. Ting
  • Patent number: 8541887
    Abstract: A layered chip package includes a main body, and wiring that includes a plurality of wires disposed on a side surface of the main body. The main body includes: a main part including first and second layer portions; and a plurality of first and second terminals that are disposed on the top and bottom surfaces of the main part, respectively, and are electrically connected to the plurality of wires. Each layer portion includes a semiconductor chip having a first surface and a second surface opposite thereto, and includes a plurality of electrodes. The electrodes are disposed on a side of the semiconductor chip opposite to the second surface. The first and second layer portions are bonded to each other such that the respective second surfaces face each other. The first terminals are formed by using the electrodes of the first layer portion, and the second terminals are formed by using the electrodes of the second layer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignees: Headway Technologies, Inc., SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Hiroshi Ikejima, Atsushi Iijima
  • Patent number: 8502377
    Abstract: A package substrate including a conductive pattern disposed on a die attach surface of the package substrate; at least one bumping trace inlaid into the conductive pattern; and at least one gap disposed along with the bumping trace in the conductive pattern to separate the bumping trace from a bulk portion of the conductive pattern. The bumping trace may have a lathy shape from a plan view and a width substantially between 10 ?m and 40 ?m and a length substantially between 70 ?m and 130 ?m, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Tzu-Hung Lin, Ching-Liou Huang, Thomas Matthew Gregorich
  • Patent number: 8492260
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate can be patterned to define a trench and a feature. In an embodiment, the trench can be formed such that after filling the trench with a material, a bottom portion of the filled trench may be exposed during a substrate thinning operation. In another embodiment, the trench can be filled with a thermal oxide. The feature can have a shape that reduces the likelihood that a distance between the feature and a wall of the trench will be changed during subsequent processing. A structure can be at least partly formed within the trench, wherein the structure can have a relatively large area by taking advantage of the depth of the trench. The structure can be useful for making electronic components, such as passive components and through-substrate vias. The process sequence to define the trenches and form the structures can be tailored for many different process flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Semionductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: John Michael Parsey, Jr., Gordon M. Grivna
  • Patent number: 8492198
    Abstract: Microelectronic workpieces and methods for manufacturing microelectronic devices using such workpieces are disclosed. In one embodiment, a microelectronic assembly comprises a support member having a first side and a projection extending away from the first side. The assembly also includes a plurality of conductive traces at the first side of the support member. Some of the conductive traces include bond sites carried by the projection and having an outer surface at a first distance from the first side of the support member. The assembly further includes a protective coating deposited over the first side of the support member and at least a portion of the conductive traces. The protective coating has a major outer surface at a second distance from the first side of the support member. The second distance is approximately the same as the first distance such that the outer surface of the protective coating is generally co-planar with the outer surface of the bond sites carried by the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin W. Hutto
  • Patent number: 8470705
    Abstract: A chip pad structure of an integrated circuit (IC) and the method of forming are disclosed. The chip pad comprises a main pad portion and a ring pad portion. During a charging process involved in forming the chip pad structure, electrical connections from the gate electrodes of MOS transistors in the IC substrate generally are made only to the ring pad portion that has an antenna-to-gate area ratio substantially below a predetermined antenna design rule ratio, and thus is resistant or immune to antenna effect. The main pad portion and the ring pad portion are coupled together through metal bridges formed in an upper interconnect metal layer or in the top conductive pad layer. The chip pad may be used as probe pads on a parametric testline or bonding pads on an IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wu-Te Weng, Ji-Shyang Nieh
  • Patent number: 8466054
    Abstract: A thermal path is formed in a layer transferred semiconductor structure. The layer transferred semiconductor structure has a semiconductor wafer and a handle wafer bonded to a top side of the semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer has an active device layer formed therein. The thermal path is in contact with the active device layer within the semiconductor wafer. In some embodiments, the thermal path extends from the active device layer to a substrate layer of the handle wafer. In some embodiments, the thermal path extends from the active device layer to a back side external thermal contact below the active device layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: IO Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Stuber, Chris Brindle, Stuart B. Molin
  • Patent number: 8450154
    Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems associated with oxide based memory can include a method of forming an oxide based memory cell. Forming an oxide based memory cell can include forming a first conductive element, forming a substoichiometric oxide over the first conductive element, forming a second conductive element over the substoichiometric oxide, and oxidizing edges of the substoichiometric oxide by subjecting the substoichiometric oxide to an oxidizing environment to define a controlled oxygen vacancy conduction path near a center of the oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Liu, Gurtej Sandhu
  • Patent number: 8431474
    Abstract: A method for forming three-dimensional multilayer circuit includes forming an area distributed CMOS layer configured to selectively address a set of first vias and a set of second vias. A template is then aligned with the first set of vias and lower crossbar segments are created using the template. The template is then removed, rotated, and aligned with the set of second vias. Upper crossbar segments which attach to the second set of vias are then created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Qiangfei Xia, Wei Wu
  • Patent number: 8426257
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a fuse over a substrate, the fuse having a barrier layer, a metal layer, and an anti-reflective layer stacked, selectively removing the anti-reflective layer, forming an insulation layer over a whole surface of the resultant structure including the fuse, and performing repair-etching such that part of the insulation layer remains above the fuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Hyun-Sik Park, Hae-Jung Lee, Jae-Kyun Lee
  • Patent number: 8404578
    Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including a cell array region, memory cell transistors disposed at the cell array region, bitlines disposed on the memory cell transistors, and a source plate disposed between the memory cell transistors and the bitlines to veil the memory cell transistors thereunder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Won Kim, Woon-Kyung Lee
  • Patent number: 8399336
    Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a 3D integrated circuit structure. According to the method, a first active circuitry layer wafer that includes active circuitry is provided, and a first portion of the first active circuitry layer wafer is removed such that a second portion of the first active circuitry layer wafer remains. Another wafer that includes active circuitry is provided, and the other wafer is bonded to the second portion of the first active circuitry layer wafer. The first active circuitry layer wafer is lower-cost than the other wafer. Also provided are a tangible computer readable medium encoded with a program for fabricating a 3D integrated circuit structure, and a 3D integrated circuit structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mukta G. Farooq, Robert Hannon, Subramanian S. Iyer, Steven J. Koester, Fei Liu, Sampath Purushothaman, Albert M. Young, Roy R. Yu
  • Patent number: 8395240
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having improved contact structure includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a plurality of gate structures formed on a portion of the substrate, forming an interlayer dielectric layer overlying the gate structures, and forming a first copper interconnect layer overlying the substantially flat surface region of the interlayer dielectric layer. The method further includes forming a dielectric layer overlying the first copper interconnect layer, forming a second copper interconnect layer overlying the dielectric layer, and providing a copper ring structure enclosing an entirety of an inner region of the dielectric layer, the copper ring structure being provided between the first copper interconnect layer and the second copper interconnect layer to maintain the inner region of the dielectric layer. In addition, the method includes forming a bonding pad structure overlying a region within the inner region of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation
    Inventor: Xian J. Ning
  • Publication number: 20130059436
    Abstract: Device fabrication is disclosed, including forming a first part of a device at a first fabrication facility as part of a front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) process, the first part of the device comprising a base wafer formed by FEOL processing, and subsequently performing one or more back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) processes at a second fabrication facility to form an IC, the one or more BEOL processes comprising finishing the forming of the device (e.g., an IC including memory) by depositing one or more memory layers on the base wafer. FEOL processing can be used to form active circuitry die (e.g., CMOS circuitry on a Si wafer) and BEOL processing can be used to form on top of each active circuitry die, one or more layers of cross-point memory arrays formed by thin film processing technologies that may or may not be compatible with or identical to some or all of the FEOL processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Darrell Rinerson, Robin Cheung
  • Publication number: 20130059419
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a chip-scale board-on-chip substrate, or redistribution element, includes forming conductive planes on opposite sides of a substrate. A first of the conductive planes includes two sets of bond fingers, conductive traces that extend from a first set of the bond fingers, and two sets of redistributed bond pads, including a first set to which the conductive traces lead. The second conductive plane includes conductive traces that extend from locations that are opposite from the second set of bond fingers toward locations that are opposite from the locations of the second set of redistributed bond pads. Conductive vias are formed through the second set of bond fingers to the conductive traces of the second conductive plane. In addition, conductive vias are also formed to electrically connect the conductive vias of the second conductive plane to their corresponding redistributed bond pads in the first conductive plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Lee Choon Kuan, David J. Corisis, Chong Chin Hui
  • Patent number: 8389396
    Abstract: A method for manufacture of an integrated circuit package system includes: providing an integrated circuit die having a contact pad; forming a protection cover over the contact pad; forming a passivation layer having a first opening over the protection cover with the first opening exposing the protection cover; developing a conductive layer over the passivation layer; forming a pad opening in the protection cover for exposing the contact pad having the conductive layer partially removed; and an interconnect directly on the contact pad and only adjacent to the protection cover and the passivation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Stats Chippac Ltd.
    Inventors: Yaojian Lin, Haijing Cao, Qing Zhang
  • Patent number: 8372740
    Abstract: The embodiments generally relate to methods of making semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to methods for making semiconductor pillar structures and increasing array feature pattern density using selective or directional gap fill. The technique has application to a variety of materials and can be applied to making monolithic two or three-dimensional memory arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: SanDisk 3D, LLC
    Inventors: Huiwen Xu, Yung-Tin Chen, Steven J. Radigan
  • Patent number: 8367522
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a monolithic integrated electronic device using edge bond pads as well as the resulting device. The method includes providing a substrate having a surface region and forming one or more integrated micro electro-mechanical systems and electronic devices on a first region overlying the surface region. One or more trench structures can be formed within one or more portions of the first region. A passivation material and a conduction material can be formed overlying the first region and the one or more trench structures. The passivation material and the conduction material can be etched to form one or more bonding pad structure. The resulting device can then be singulated within a vicinity of the one or more bond pad structures to form two or more integrated micro electro-mechanical systems and electronic devices having edge bond pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: MCube Inc.
    Inventor: Xiao “Charles” Yang
  • Patent number: 8357606
    Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device includes forming a layer over a substrate, forming a plurality of spaced apart features of imagable material over the layer, forming sidewall spacers on the plurality of features and filling a space between a first sidewall spacer on a first feature and a second sidewall spacer on a second feature with a filler feature. The method also includes removing the sidewall spacers to leave the first feature, the filler feature and the second feature spaced apart from each other, and etching the layer using the first feature, the filler feature and the second feature as a mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: SanDisk 3D LLC
    Inventors: Yung-Tin Chen, Steven J. Radigan
  • Patent number: 8334597
    Abstract: A first insulating film is provided between a lower interconnect and an upper interconnect. The lower interconnect and the upper interconnect are connected to each other by way of a via formed in the first insulating film. A dummy via or an insulating slit is formed on/in the upper interconnect near the via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Harada
  • Patent number: 8329574
    Abstract: Flash memory devices include a pair of elongated, closely spaced-apart main active regions in a substrate. A sub active region is also provided in the substrate, extending between the pair of elongated, closely spaced-apart main active regions. A bit line contact plug is provided on, and electrically contacting, the sub active region and being at least as wide as the sub active region. An elongated bit line is provided on, and electrically contacting, the bit line contact plug remote from the sub active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Sun Sel, Jung-Dal Choi
  • Publication number: 20120302054
    Abstract: Methods for fabricating conductive structures on and/or in interposing devices and microfeature devices that are formed using such methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating interposer devices having substrates includes forming a plurality of conductive sections on a first substrate in a first pattern. The method continues by forming a plurality of conductive sections on a second substrate in a second pattern. The method further includes constructing a plurality of conductive lines in a common third pattern on both the first substrate and the second substrate. The conductive lines can be formed on the first and second substrates either before or after forming the first pattern of conductive sections on the first substrate and/or forming the second pattern of conductive sections on the second substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Mark S. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8314024
    Abstract: Device fabrication is disclosed, including forming a first part of a device at a first fabrication facility as part of a front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) process, the first part of the device comprising a base wafer formed by FEOL processing, and subsequently performing one or more back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) processes at a second fabrication facility to form an IC, the one or more BEOL processes comprising finishing the forming of the device (e.g., an IC including memory) by depositing one or more memory layers on the base wafer. FEOL processing can be used to form active circuitry die (e.g., CMOS circuitry on a Si wafer) and BEOL processing can be used to form on top of each active circuitry die, one or more layers of cross-point memory arrays formed by thin film processing technologies that may or may not be compatible with or identical to some or all of the FEOL processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Darrell Rinerson, Robin Cheung
  • Patent number: 8309405
    Abstract: Methods of forming vertical nonvolatile memory devices may include forming an electrically insulating layer, which includes a composite of a sacrificial layer sandwiched between first and second mold layers. An opening extends through the electrically insulating layer and exposes inner sidewalls of the first and second mold layers and the sacrificial layer. A sidewall of the opening may be lined with an electrically insulating protective layer and a first semiconductor layer may be formed on an inner sidewall of the electrically insulating protective layer within the opening. At least a portion of the sacrificial layer may then be selectively etched from between the first and second mold layers to thereby define a lateral recess therein, which exposes an outer sidewall of the electrically insulating protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Ryol Yang, Yoo-Chul Kong, Jin-Gyun Kim, Jae-Jin Shin, Jung-Ho Kim, Ji-Hoon Choi
  • Patent number: 8309434
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor element having first and second surfaces, wherein the semiconductor element includes at least one electrode, which is disposed on one of the first and second surfaces; and first and second metallic layers, wherein the first metallic layer is disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor element, and wherein the second metallic layer is disposed on the second surface of the semiconductor element. The one electrode is electrically coupled with one of the first and second metallic layers, which is disposed on the one of the first and second surfaces. The one electrode is coupled with an external circuit through the one of the first and second metallic layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasutomi Asai, Hiroshi Ishino
  • Patent number: 8298928
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention includes: forming an insulation layer to be processed over a substrate; forming a first sacrificial layer in a first area over the substrate, the first sacrificial layer being patterned to form in the first area a functioning wiring connected to an element; forming a second sacrificial layer in a second area over the substrate, the second sacrificial layer being patterned to form in the second area a dummy wiring; forming a third sacrificial layer at a side wall of the first sacrificial layer and forming a fourth sacrificial layer at a side wall of the second sacrificial layer, the third sacrificial layer and the fourth sacrificial layer being separated; forming a concavity by etching the insulation layer to be processed using the third sacrificial layer and the fourth sacrificial layer as a mask; and filling a conductive material in the concavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kosuke Yanagidaira, Chikaaki Kodama
  • Patent number: 8283778
    Abstract: A chip has a wafer portion of a first coefficient of thermal expansion, the wafer portion including at least one via defined by a peripheral sidewall, an insulating region having second average coefficient of thermal expansion, located within the via and covering at least a portion of the peripheral sidewall to a first thickness, a metallic region having a third average coefficient of thermal expansion, located within the via and covering the insulator to a second thickness, the first thickness and second thickness being selected such that expansion of the combination of the insulator and the metal due to heat will match the expansion of the wafer portion as a result of the combined effect of the first and second thicknesses and their respective second and third average coefficients of thermal expansion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd. L.L.C.
    Inventor: John Trezza
  • Patent number: 8247290
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device has forming a first conductive film over a semiconductor substrate, etching the first conductive film, forming a plurality of first conductive patterns arranged in a first direction, and forming a side surface on an outside of a conductive pattern positioned at an end among the plurality of first conductive patterns such that the side surface has a first inclination angle smaller than a second inclination angle of a side surface on an inside of the conductive pattern positioned at the end, forming a first insulation film over the plurality of first conductive patterns, and forming a second conductive pattern over the first insulation film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Junichi Ariyoshi, Toru Anezaki, Hiroshi Morioka
  • Patent number: 8243177
    Abstract: A multi-pixel row wafer-scale cluster image sensor chip (WCISC) is proposed. Expressed in X-Y-Z coordinates with its pixel rows along X-axis, the WCISC converts areal image frame (IMFM) into areal image frame signal (AIFS). The WCISC includes multiple imaging pixel rows PXRW1, . . . , PXRWM. Each PXRWi has photoelectrical sensing elements spanning pixel row width PRWi and producing a pixel row image signal PRISi. Each PXRWi is offset from PXRW1 by distance XOFSTi and spaced from PXRWi?1 by distance SPi?1,I such that X- and Y-extremities of (PXRW1, . . . , PXRWM) define IMFM. The WCISC is so configured that any image pixel sweeping through IMFM will be sensed by at least one imaging pixel row. In the presence of Y-directional relative motion between WCISC and IMFM and an external electronic imaging controller (EEIC) interfacing with the WCISC, the EEIC can extract all PRISi from WCISC and reconstruct the AIFS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: CMOS Senor, Inc.
    Inventors: Weng-Lyang Wang, Shengmin Lin
  • Patent number: 8242578
    Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a circuit and method for electroplating a feature (e.g., a BEOL anti-fuse device) onto a wafer. The embodiments eliminate the use of a seed layer and, thereby, minimize subsequent processing steps (e.g., etching or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP)). Specifically, the embodiments allow for selective electroplating metal or alloy materials onto an exposed portion of a metal layer in a trench on the front side of a substrate. This is accomplished by providing a unique wafer structure that allows a current path to be established from a power supply through a back side contact and in-substrate electrical connector to the metal layer. During electrodeposition, current flow through the current path can be selectively controlled. Additionally, if the electroplated feature is an anti-fuse device, current flow through this current path can also be selectively controlled in order to program the anti-fuse device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Veeraraghavan S. Basker, Toshiharu Furukawa, William R. Tonti
  • Patent number: 8237296
    Abstract: Organic anti-stiction coatings such as, for example, hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon based self-assembled organosilanes and siloxanes applied either in solvent or via chemical vapor deposition, are selectively etched using a UV-Ozone (UVO) dry etching technique in which the portions of the organic anti-stiction coating to be etched are exposed simultaneously to multiple wavelengths of ultraviolet light that excite and dissociate organic molecules from the anti-stiction coating and generate atomic oxygen from molecular oxygen and ozone so that the organic molecules react with atomic oxygen to form volatile products that are dissipated, resulting in removal of the exposed portions of the anti-stiction coating. A hybrid etching process using heat followed by UVO exposure may be used. A shadow mask (e.g., of glass or quartz), a protective material layer, or other mechanism may be used to selective expose the portions of the anti-stiction coating to be UVO etched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Mehmet Hancer
  • Publication number: 20120194217
    Abstract: One aspect provides an input/output cell. The input/output cell, in one example, includes an input/output layout boundary delineated on a substrate, wherein the input/output layout boundary defines a first side parallel and opposing a second side, a third side parallel and opposing a fourth side, wherein the first and second sides are substantially perpendicular the third and fourth sides. The input/output cell, in this example, further includes input/output transistors positioned within the input/output layout boundary over the substrate. The input/output cell, in this example, further includes first and second power conductors and first and second ground conductors located over the substrate, the first power conductor and first ground conductor extending entirely between the first and second sides and the second power conductor and second ground conductor extending entirely between the third and fourth sides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Mark F. Turner, Jeff S. Brown, Paul Dorweiler
  • Patent number: 8232203
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a memory device is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate, forming a number of memory sectors on the substrate, wherein each of the memory sectors is coupled to an adjacent one via a first diffused region in the substrate and is coupled to another adjacent one via at least one second diffused region in the substrate, forming a first dielectric layer on the memory sectors, forming a first conductive structure through the first dielectric layer to the first diffused region, and at least one second conductive structure through the first dielectric layer to the at least one second diffused region, forming a patterned first mask layer on the first dielectric layer, the first conductive structure and the at least one second conductive structure, the patterned first mask layer exposing the first conductive structure, and etching back the first conductive structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chin Cheng Yang
  • Patent number: 8222727
    Abstract: Methods for fabricating conductive structures on and/or in interposing devices and microfeature devices that are formed using such methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating interposer devices having substrates includes forming a plurality of conductive sections on a first substrate in a first pattern. The method continues by forming a plurality of conductive sections on a second substrate in a second pattern. The method further includes constructing a plurality of conductive lines in a common third pattern on both the first substrate and the second substrate. The conductive lines can be formed on the first and second substrates either before or after forming the first pattern of conductive sections on the first substrate and/or forming the second pattern of conductive sections on the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark S. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8222133
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to avoid an inconvenience at a connection portion formed by filling a metal film in a connecting hole, which has been opened in an insulating film, via a barrier metal film having a titanium nitride film stacked over a titanium film. A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device has the steps of: forming a thermal reaction Ti film over the bottom of a connecting hole by a thermal reaction using a TiCl4 gas; forming a plasma reaction Ti film by a plasma reaction using a TiCl4 gas; forming a nitrogen-rich TiN film over the surface of the plasma reaction Ti film by plasma treatment with H2 and plasma treatment with NH3 gases; repeatedly carrying out film formation by CVD using a WF6 gas and reduction using an SiH4 or B2H6 gas to form a tungsten nucleation film of a multilayer structure over the nitrogen-rich TiN film; and forming a blanket•tungsten film at 400° C. or less by CVD using WF6 and H2 gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Futase, Takeshi Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20120156870
    Abstract: A chip pad structure of an integrated circuit (IC) and the method of forming are disclosed. The chip pad comprises a main pad portion and a ring pad portion. During a charging process involved in forming the chip pad structure, electrical connections from the gate electrodes of MOS transistors in the IC substrate generally are made only to the ring pad portion that has an antenna-to-gate area ratio substantially below a predetermined antenna design rule ratio, and thus is resistant or immune to antenna effect. The main pad portion and the ring pad portion are coupled together through metal bridges formed in an upper interconnect metal layer or in the top conductive pad layer. The chip pad may be used as probe pads on a parametric testline or bonding pads on an IC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wu-Te Weng, Ji-Shyang Nieh
  • Patent number: 8203173
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit has: a substrate; a basic logic cell placed on the substrate and configured to function as a part of a logic circuit; and a dummy cell placed on the substrate and not configured to function as a part of a logic circuit. The basic logic cell includes a diffusion layer formed in the substrate, and a distance from the diffusion layer to a boundary between the basic logic cell and another cell adjacent to the basic logic cell is equal to a first distance. The dummy cell includes a dummy diffusion layer that is a diffusion layer formed in the substrate, and a distance from the dummy diffusion layer to a boundary between the dummy cell and another cell adjacent to the dummy cell is equal to the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Uemura
  • Publication number: 20120119785
    Abstract: One aspect provides an input/output cell. The input/output cell, in one example, includes an input/output layout boundary delineated on a substrate, wherein the input/output layout boundary defines a first side parallel and opposing a second side, a third side parallel and opposing a fourth side, wherein the first and second sides are substantially perpendicular the third and fourth sides. The input/output cell, in this example, further includes input/output transistors positioned within the input/output layout boundary over the substrate. The input/output cell, in this example, further includes first and second power conductors and first and second ground conductors located over the substrate, the first power conductor and first ground conductor extending entirely between the first and second sides and the second power conductor and second ground conductor extending entirely between the third and fourth sides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Mark F. Turner, Jeff S. Brown, Paul Dorweiler
  • Patent number: 8173534
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer with rear side identification and to a method for producing the same is disclosed. In one embodiment, the rear side identification has a multiplicity of information regarding the monocrystalline and surface and also rear side constitution. A multiplicity of semiconductor device positions arranged in rows and columns are provided on the top side of the semiconductor wafer, an information chip being arranged at an exposed semiconductor device position, the information chip having at least the information of the rear side identification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Stephan Bradl, Rainer Holmer
  • Publication number: 20120105104
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the integrated circuit has a L-level permutable switching network (L-PSN) comprising L levels of intermediate conductors. The integrated circuit can be used in electronic devices, such as switching networks, routers, and programmable logic circuits, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Peter M. Pani, Benjamin S. Ting
  • Patent number: 8168470
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is made with a conductive via formed through a top-side of the substrate. The conductive via extends vertically through less than a thickness of the substrate. An integrated passive device (IPD) is formed over the substrate. A plurality of first conductive pillars is formed over the first IPD. A first semiconductor die is mounted over the substrate. An encapsulant is formed around the first conductive pillars and first semiconductor die. A second IPD is formed over the encapsulant. An interconnect structure is formed over the second IPD. The interconnect structure operates as a heat sink. A portion of a back-side of the substrate is removed to expose the first conductive via. A second semiconductor die is mounted to the back-side of the substrate. The second semiconductor die is electrically connected to the first IPD and first semiconductor die through the conductive via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: STATS ChipPAC, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yaojian Lin, Jianmin Fang, Kang Chen, Haijing Cao
  • Publication number: 20120097208
    Abstract: Provided is a method for generating, and for connecting in series, stripe-shaped elements, wherein less space is required for the series connection as compared to the prior art.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Lambertz, Stefan Haas
  • Patent number: 8158505
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a semiconductor wafer including a plurality of interconnect layers, the semiconductor wafer including: a plurality of chip-composing portions; a dicing region separating the chip-composing portions from each other; and a plurality of inter-chip interconnects electrically connecting adjacent ones of the chip-composing portions and formed in one of the interconnect layers and in the dicing region; a dummy metal pattern comprising a plurality of dummy metals, the dummy metal pattern being formed in at least one of the interconnect layers over or below the inter-chip interconnects only in an area corresponded to a region where the inter-chip interconnects are arranged and corresponded to a region therearound; and forming semiconductor chips by dicing the dicing region so as to divide the chip-composing portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Uchida, Yoshitsugu Kawashima, Hiroshi Ise
  • Patent number: 8138087
    Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided that comprises a substrate of silicon and an interconnect in a through-hole extending from the first to the second side of the substrate. The interconnect is coupled to a metallization layer on the first side of the substrate and is provided on an amorphous silicon layer that is present at a side wall of the through-hole, and particularly at an edge thereof adjacent to the first side of the substrate. The interconnect comprises a metal stack of nickel and silver. A preferred way of forming the amorphous silicon layer is a sputter etching technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Stephane Morel, Arnoldus Den Dekker, Elisabeth C. Rodenburg, Eric C. E. Van Grunsven