Schottky Barrier Junction Patents (Class 438/92)
  • Patent number: 7820473
    Abstract: A Schottky diode capable of sustaining a voltage of greater than about 250 volts and a method for its manufacture. An epitaxial layer of N-type conductivity is disposed on a semiconductor substrate of N-type conductivity. A guard ring of P-type conductivity extends into the epitaxial layer from its surface. A stacked structure is formed on a portion of the guard ring and a portion of the epitaxial layer. The stacked structure includes a layer of semi-insulating semiconductor material disposed on a layer of dielectric material. A first metal layer is formed on the portion of the epitaxial layer adjacent a first side of the stacked structure and on a first portion of the stacked structure. A second metal layer is formed on the portion of the epitaxial layer adjacent a second side of the stacked structure and on a second portion of the stacked structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Linghui Chen, Blanca Estela Kruse, Mark Duskin, John D. Moran
  • Patent number: 7816676
    Abstract: Hermetically sealed packages having organic electronic devices are presented. A number of sealing mechanisms are provided to hermetically seal the package to protect the organic electronic device from environmental elements. A metal alloy sealant layer is employed proximate to the organic electronic device. Alternatively, a metal alloy sealant layer in combination with primer layer may also be implemented. Further, superstrates and edge wraps may be provided to completely surround the organic electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Franklin Fourst, William Francis Nealon
  • Patent number: 7795064
    Abstract: The present invention provides a front-illuminated avalanche photodiode (APD) with improved intrinsic responsivity, as well as a method of fabricating such a front-illuminated APD. The front-illuminated APD comprises an APD body of semiconductor material, which includes a substrate and a layer stack disposed on a front surface of the substrate. The layer stack includes an absorption layer, a multiplication layer, and a field-control layer. Advantageously, a back surface of the APD body is mechanically and chemically polished, and a reflector having a reflectance of greater than 90% at the absorption wavelength band is disposed on the back surface of the APD body. Thus, incident light that is not absorbed in a first pass through the absorption layer is reflected by the reflector for a second pass through the absorption layer, increasing the intrinsic responsivity of the front-illuminated APD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation
    Inventors: Zhong Pan, Craig Ciesla
  • Patent number: 7786460
    Abstract: A phase change memory device comprises a photolithographically formed phase change memory cell having first and second electrodes and a phase change element positioned between and electrically coupling the opposed contact elements of the electrodes to one another. The phase change element has a width, a length and a thickness. The length, the thickness and the width are less than a minimum photolithographic feature size of the process used to form the phase change memory cell. The size of the photoresist masks used in forming the memory cell may be reduced so that the length and the width of the phase change element are each less than the minimum photolithographic feature size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsiang Lan Lung, Shih-Hung Chen
  • Publication number: 20100175745
    Abstract: Photovoltaic devices are driven by intense photoemission of “hot” electrons from a suitable nanostructured metal. The metal should be an electron source with surface plasmon resonance within the visible and near-visible spectrum range (near IR to near UV (about 300 to 1000 nm)). Suitable metals include silver, gold, copper and alloys of silver, gold and copper with each other. Silver is particularly preferred for its advantageous opto-electronic properties in the near UV and visible spectrum range, relatively low cost, and simplicity of processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Robert Kostecki, Samuel S. Mao
  • Publication number: 20100139751
    Abstract: A first solar battery unit and a second solar battery unit are stacked between a front-side electrode and a backside electrode and sandwiching an intermediate layer having conductivity, and a Schottky barrier is formed between the intermediate layer and an electrode connecting layer which connects the front-side electrode and the backside electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeyuki Sekimoto, Shigeo Yata
  • Publication number: 20100078679
    Abstract: Provided is a light-receiving device which has light-receiving sensitivity superior to that of a conventional Schottky diode type light-receiving device and also has sufficiently-strengthened junction of a Schottky electrode. A first contact layer formed of AlGaN and having conductivity, a light-receiving layer formed of AlGaN, and a second contact layer formed of AlN and having a thickness of 5 nm are epitaxially formed on a predetermined substrate in the stated order, and a second electrode is brought into Schottky junction with the second contact layer, to thereby form MIS junction. Further, after the Schottky junction, heat treatment is performed under a nitrogen gas atmosphere at 600° C. for 30 seconds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto MIYOSHI, Mitsuhiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7679104
    Abstract: A vertical semiconductor element comprises: an electro-conductive substrate; a GaN layer, as a nitride compound semiconductor layer, which is selectively grown as a convex shape on one surface of the electro-conductive substrate through a buffer layer; a source electrode as a first electrode formed on the GaN layer; and a drain electrode as a second electrode formed on another surface of the electro-conductive substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sato, Sadahiro Kato, Masayuki Iwami, Hitoshi Sasaki, Shinya Ootomo, Yuki Niiyama
  • Publication number: 20100037941
    Abstract: Methods and compositions for making photovoltaic devices are provided. A metal that is reactive with silicon is placed in contact with the n-type silicon layer of a silicon substrate. The silicon substrate and reactive metal are fired to form a silicide contact to the n-type silicon layer. A conductive metal electrode is placed in contact with the silicide contact. A silicon solar cell made by such methods is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicants: E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: WILLIAM J. BORLAND, Jon-Paul Maria
  • Publication number: 20100006144
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device and a method of making the photovoltaic device. The device includes a metallic surface defining a plurality of voids for confining surface plasmons. The metallic surface is coated with a semiconductor to form a Schottky region at an interface between the metallic surface and the semiconductor within each void.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Jeremy John Baumberg, Mamdouth Abdelsalam, Philip Nigel Bartlett
  • Patent number: 7622752
    Abstract: A Schottky diode with a vertical barrier extending perpendicularly to the surface of a semiconductor chip having a vertical central metal conductor in contact on the one hand with the substrate of the semiconductor chip with an interposed interface forming a Schottky barrier, and on the other hand with radially-extending conductive fingers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.A., STMicroelectronics Maroc
    Inventors: Frédéric Lanois, Sylvain Nizou
  • Patent number: 7611920
    Abstract: A room temperature operation polycrystalline infrared responsive photodetector, manufactured by a process, comprising the steps of patterning vacuum-deposited material and dry-etching a photonic crystal structure with resonant coupling tuned to long wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Steven R. Jost
  • Patent number: 7605017
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device and resulting products. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a hetero semiconductor region hetero-adjoined with the semiconductor substrate, a gate insulation layer contacting the semiconductor substrate and a heterojunction of the hetero semiconductor region, a gate electrode formed on the gate insulation layer, an electric field alleviation region spaced apart from a heterojunction driving end of the heterojunction that contacts the gate insulation layer by a predetermined distance and contacting the semiconductor substrate and the gate insulation layer, a source electrode contacting the hetero semiconductor region and a drain electrode contacting the semiconductor substrate. A mask layer is formed on the hetero semiconductor region, and the electric field alleviation region and the heterojunction driving end are formed by using at least a portion of the first mask layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Hayashi, Masakatsu Hoshi, Hideaki Tanaka, Shigeharu Yamagami
  • Publication number: 20090250102
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device using a semiconductor nanomaterial to which a rectifying action caused by a Schottky junction between semiconductor nanomaterials and metal is applied and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The photoelectric conversion device includes a substrate, an insulating layer formed on the substrate, a nanomaterial layer made of a plurality of semiconductor nanomaterials vertically arranged between the insulating layer or horizontally arranged on the substrate, and a metal layer provided on the semiconductor nanomaterial layer to form a Schottky junction with the semiconductor nanomaterials. The electrical energy is generated by rectification generated between the semiconductor nanomaterials and the metal layer that form the Schottky junction with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials
    Inventors: Joon-Dong Kim, Chang-Soo Han, Eung-Sug Lee, Byung-Ik Choi, Kyung-Hyun Whang
  • Publication number: 20090242031
    Abstract: A semiconductor donor body is affixed to a receiver element, and a thin semiconductor lamina is cleaved from the donor body, remaining affixed to the receiver element. A photovoltaic assembly is fabricated which includes the lamina and the receiver element, wherein a photovoltaic cell comprises the lamina. The bond between the semiconductor donor body and the receiver element must survive processing to complete the cell, as well as eventual assembly, transport, and operation in a finished photovoltaic module. It has been found that inclusion of a conductive layer such as titanium or aluminum aids bonding between the semiconductor donor body and the receiver element. In some embodiments, the conductive layer may also serve as an electrical contact and/or as a reflective layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: Twin Creeks Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: S. Brad Herner, Aditya Agarwal
  • Patent number: 7588958
    Abstract: To reduce a reverse leakage current in a Schottky barrier diode with achieving a lower forward voltage Vf and a smaller capacitance than in the related art, a Schottky barrier diode includes a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a first electrode which is a metal layer forming a Schottky contact with a main surface of the semiconductor layer, a second electrode forming an ohmic contact with an opposite main surface of the semiconductor layer, a buried layer of a second conductivity type formed within the semiconductor layer so as not to be in contact with the first electrode, where the second conductivity type has a different charge carrier from the first conductivity type, and a guard ring of the second conductivity type formed within the semiconductor layer so as to be in contact with the first electrode and also to surround the buried layer without contacting with the buried layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Tanaka, Naotoshi Kashima
  • Patent number: 7504328
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an N-type Schottky barrier Source/Drain Transistor (N-SSDT) with ytterbium silicide (YbSi2-x) for source and drain is presented. The fabrication of YbSi2-x is compatible with the normal CMOS process but ultra-high vacuum, which is required for ErSi2-x fabrication, is not needed here. To prevent oxidation of ytterbium during ex situ annealing and to improve the film quality, a suitable capping layer stack has been developed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: National University of Singapore
    Inventors: Shiyang Zhu, Jingde Chen, Sungjoo Lee, Ming Fu Li, Jagar Singh, Chunxiang Zhu, Dim-Lee Kwong
  • Publication number: 20080210939
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an image sensor device (5) transferring an intensity of radiation (1) into an electrical current (i-i, a2) depending on said intensity, comprising the following steps in a vacuum deposition device: Depositing onto a dielectric, insulating surface a matrix of electrically conducting pads (7a, 7b) as rear electrical contacts, plasma assisted exposing said surface with pads to a donor delivering gas without adding a silicon containing gas, depositing a layer (15) of intrinsic silicon from a silicon delivering gas depositing a doped layer (17) and arranging an electrically conductive layer (19) transparent for said radiation (1) as a front contact. The method of fabricating an image-sensor-device and the image-sensor-device are avoiding disadvantages of the prior art. This means the image-sensor-device of the invention has a good ohmic contact, a low dark-current, no pixel-cross-talk and a reproducible fabrication-process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventors: Jean-Baptiste Chevrier, Olivier Salasca, Emmanuel Turlot
  • Patent number: 7355260
    Abstract: A conductive layer includes a first portion that forms a Schottky region with an underlying first region having a first conductivity type. A second region of a second conductivity type underlies the first region, where the second conductivity type is opposite the first conductivity type. A third region of the first conductivity type immediately underlies the second region and is electrically coupled to a cathode of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishnu K. Khemka, Vijay Parthasarathy, Ronghua Zhu, Amitava Bose
  • Publication number: 20080047600
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element has a Schottky electrode, a light-receiving semiconductor layer in contact with the Schottky electrode, and a transparent electrode in contact with the light-receiving semiconductor layer, wherein the Schottky electrode has a periodic concavo-convex structure; the light-receiving semiconductor layer is placed in contact with a face of the concavo-convex structure of the Schottky electrode; and the concavo-convex height of the concavo-convex structure of the Schottky electrode ranges from 1/20 to ? of the periodic distance of the concavo-convex structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ohashi, Toru Den
  • Publication number: 20080035954
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a photodiode formed using a silicon substrate, a wide-bandgap semiconductor layer formed on the silicon substrate and having a bandgap larger than that of silicon, and a switching element formed using the wide-bandgap semiconductor layer. The switching element is electrically connected to the photodiode so as to be on/off-controlled by a control signal from the photodiode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Nozaki
  • Patent number: 7291524
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a transistor device for regulating the flow of electric current is provided wherein the device has Schottky-barrier metal source-drain contacts. The method, in one embodiment, utilizes an isotropic etch process prior to the formation of the metal source-drain contacts to provide better control of the Schottky-barrier junction location to a channel region. The improvements from the controllability of the placement of the Schottky-barrier junction enables additional drive current and optimizes device performance, thereby significantly improving manufacturability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Spinnaker Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Snyder, John M. Larson
  • Patent number: 7282386
    Abstract: A Schottky device having a plurality of unit cells, each having a Schottky contact portion, surrounded by a termination structure that causes depletion regions to form in a vertical and horizontal direction, relative to a surface of the device, during a reverse bias voltage condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishnu K. Khemka, Vijay Parthasarathy, Ronghua Zhu, Amitava Bose
  • Patent number: 7220661
    Abstract: A Schottky barrier rectifier, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, includes a first conductive layer and a semiconductor. The semiconductor includes a first doped region, a second doped region and a plurality of third doped regions. The second doped region is disposed between the first doped region and the first conductive layer. The plurality of third doped regions are disposed in the second doped region. The first doped region of the semiconductor is heavily doped with a first type of dopant (e.g., phosphorous or arsenic). The second doped region is moderately doped with the first type of dopant. The plurality of third doped regions are moderately to heavily doped with a second type of dopant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Qspeed Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Ho-Yuan Yu, Chong-Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 7217953
    Abstract: A passive mechanism suppresses injection, into any active guard regions interposed between the edge of a photodiode array chip and the outer photodiode pixels or into the outer pixels themselves, of minority carrier current generated in the physically disrupted region at the edge of the semiconductor die created by cleaving, sawing or otherwise separating the chip from the remainder of the wafer on which the die was fabricated. A thin metallic layer covers all or part of the edge region, thereby creating a Schottky barrier. This barrier generates a depletion region in the adjacent semiconductor material. The depletion region inherently creates an energy band distribution which preferentially accelerates minority carriers generated or near the metal-semiconductor interface towards the metal, thereby suppressing collection of these carriers by any active regions of the guard structure or by the photodiode pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Digirad Corporation
    Inventor: Lars S. Carlson
  • Patent number: 7199442
    Abstract: A SiC Schottky barrier diode (SBD) is provided having a substrate and two or more epitaxial layers, including at least a thin, lightly doped N-type top epitaxial layer, and an N-type epitaxial layer on which the topmost epitaxial layer is disposed. Multiple epitaxial layers support the blocking voltage of the diode, and each of the multiple epitaxial layers supports a substantial portion of the blocking voltage. Optimization of the thickness and dopant concentrations of at least the top two epitaxial layers results in reduced capacitance and switching losses, while keeping effects on forward voltage and on-resistance low. Alternatively, the SBD includes a continuously graded N-type doped region whose doping varies from a lighter dopant concentration at the top of the region to a heavier dopant concentration at the bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Praveen M. Shenoy
  • Patent number: 7169634
    Abstract: An improved Fast Recovery Diode comprises a main PN junction defining a central conduction region for conducting high current in a forward direction and a peripheral field spreading region surrounding the central conduction region for blocking high voltage in the reverse direction. The main PN junction has an avalanche voltage equal to or lower than an avalanche voltage of the peripheral field spreading region so substantially the entire said main PN junction participates in avalanche conduction. This rugged FRED structure can also be formed in MOSFETS, IGBTS and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Advanced Power Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shanqi Zhao, Dumitru Sdrulla
  • Patent number: 7101739
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a vertical Schottky diode with a guard ring on a lightly-doped N-type silicon carbide layer, including forming a P-type epitaxial layer on the N-type layer; implanting N-type dopants in areas of the P-type epitaxial layer to neutralize in these areas, across the entire thickness of the epitaxial layer, the P-type dopants to form N-type regions, of dopant concentration lower than that of the epitaxial layer, and delimiting a P-type guard ring; forming on the external periphery of the component an insulating layer partially covering the guard ring; and forming a Schottky contact with the N-type region internal to the guard ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Frédéric Lanois
  • Patent number: 7084475
    Abstract: A lateral conduction Schottky diode includes multiple mesa regions upon which Schottky contacts are formed and which are at least separated by ohmic contacts to reduce the current path length and reduce current crowding in the Schottky contact, thereby reducing the forward resistance of a device. The multiple mesas may be isolated from one another and have sizes and shapes optimized for reducing the forward resistance. Alternatively, some of the mesas may be finger-shaped and intersect with a central mesa or a bridge mesa, and some or all of the ohmic contacts are interdigitated with the finger-shaped mesas. The dimensions of the finger-shaped mesas and the perimeter of the intersecting structure may be optimized to reduce the forward resistance. The Schottky diodes may be mounted to a submount in a flip chip arrangement that further reduces the forward voltage as well as improves power dissertation and reduces heat generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Velox Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan S. Shelton, Linlin Liu, Alex D. Ceruzzi, Michael Murphy, Milan Pophristic, Boris Peres, Richard A. Stall, Xiang Gao, Ivan Eliashevich
  • Patent number: 7049630
    Abstract: An OLED device having pillars with a cross section that is wider on the top. The pillars structure a conductive layer during deposition into distinct portions located between the pillars and on the top of the pillars. In one embodiment, the grooves between the pillars extend outside the electrode region to prevent shorting of adjacent electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd
    Inventors: Hooi Bin Lim, Hagen Klausmann, Bernd Fritz
  • Patent number: 7002187
    Abstract: An integrated Schottky diode and method of manufacture of such a diode is disclosed. In a first aspect, a Schottky diode comprises a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes an epitaxial layer (EPI) on the substrate region. The diode includes a plurality of guard rings in the EPI layer and a plurality of oxidized slots. Finally, the diode includes metal within the plurality of slots to form a Buried Power Buss. A portion of the metal is completely oxide isolated from the other elements of the diode. In a second aspect, a method for manufacturing a Schottky diode comprises providing a substrate region, A buried N+ region providing an epitaxial (EPI) layer. The method also includes providing a plurality of guard rings in the EPI layer and providing a plurality of slots in the semiconductor substrate that is in contact with the EPI layer and the substrate region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Micrel, Inc.
    Inventor: John Durbin Husher
  • Patent number: 6949401
    Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor component with adjacent Schottky (5) and pn (9) junctions positions in a drift area (2, 10) of a semiconductor material. According to the method, a silicon carbide substrate doped with a first doping material of at least 1018 cm?3 is provided, and a silicon carbide layer with a second doping material of the same charge carrier type in the range of 1014 and 1017 cm?3 is homo-epitaxially deposited on the substrate. A third doping material with a complimentary charge carrier is inserted, and structured with the aid of a diffusion and/or ion implantation, on the silicon carbide layer surface that is arranged far from the substrate to form pn junctions. Subsequently the component is subjected to a first temperature treatment between 1400° C. and 1700° C. Following this temperature treatment, a first metal coating is deposited on the implanted surface in order to form a Schottky contact and then a second metal coating is deposited in order to form an ohmic contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Daimler Chrysler AG
    Inventors: Nando Kaminski, Raban Held
  • Patent number: 6924218
    Abstract: A method for passivating a III-V material Schottky layer of a field effect transistor. The transistor has a gate electrode in Schottky contact with a gate electrode contact region of the Schottky layer. The gate electrode is adapted to control a flow of carriers between a source electrode of the transistor and a drain electrode of such tarnsistor. The transistor has exposed surface portions of the Schottky layer beween the source electrode and the drain electrode adjacent to the gate electrode contact region of the Schottky layer. The method includes removing organic contamination from the exposed surface portions of the Schottky layer using a oxygen plasma. The contamination removed surface portions of the Schottky layer are exposed to a solution of ammonium sulfide and NH4OH. After removal of the solution, the exposed regions are dried in a nitrogen enviroment. A layer of passivating material is deposited over the dried surface portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Philbert Francis Marsh, Colin S. Whelan
  • Patent number: 6897133
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for making a vertical Schottky diode on a highly doped N-type silicon carbide substrate (1), comprising steps which consist in forming an N-type lightly doped epitaxial layer (2); etching out a peripheral trench at the active zone of the diode; forming a type P doped epitaxial layer; carrying out a planarization process so that a ring (6) of the P type epitaxial layer remains in the trench; forming an insulating layer (3) on the outer periphery of the component, said insulating layer partly covering said ring; and depositing a metal (4) capable of forming a Schottky barrier with the N type epitaxial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Emmanuel Collard
  • Patent number: 6838744
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method therefor are provided, the semiconductor device having a good reverse recovery characteristic, and having no reduction in breakdown voltage because no defect occurs in the upper main surface of a Si substrate even when wires are bonded onto an anode electrode. A semiconductor device includes a Si substrate including an N+ cathode layer and an N? layer. An impurity such as platinum whose barrier height is less than that of silicon is introduced into upper regions of the N? layer where P anode layers are not formed, thereby forming Schottky junction regions. A barrier metal is formed between the Si substrate and an anode electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Takahashi, Shinji Aono
  • Patent number: 6818468
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for incorporating low contrast and high contrast interfaces in optical devices. In one embodiment an insulator is disposed proximate to a plurality of regions of a semiconductor including regions through which an optical beam is directed. High contrast interfaces are defined between the semiconductor and the insulator. Low contrast interfaces are defined between a doped region and the semiconductor. The optical beam is directed through the doped region from one of the plurality of semiconductor regions to another of the plurality of regions with relatively low loss. Optical coupling or evanescent coupling depending on an incident angle of the optical beam relative to the low contrast interface may occur through the doped region and low contrast interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Michael T. Morse
  • Patent number: 6770548
    Abstract: A Schottky rectifier is provided. The Schottky rectifier comprises: (a) a semiconductor region having first and second opposing faces, with the semiconductor region comprising a cathode region of first conductivity type adjacent the first face and a drift region of the first conductivity type adjacent the second face, and with the drift region having a lower net doping concentration than that of the cathode region; (b) one or more trenches extending from the second face into the semiconductor region and defining one or more mesas within the semiconductor region; (c) an insulating region adjacent the semiconductor region in lower portions of the trench; (d) and an anode electrode that is (i) adjacent to and forms a Schottky rectifying contact with the semiconductor at the second face, (ii) adjacent to and forms a Schottky rectifying contact with the semiconductor region within upper portions of the trench and (iii) adjacent to the insulating region within the lower portions of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: General Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Fwu-Iuan Hshieh, Koon Chong So
  • Publication number: 20040129993
    Abstract: A Semiconductor component, such as an IGBT, a thyristor, a GTO or a diode, and especially a Schottky diode is provided that is capable of blocking for producing a termination portion of a semiconductor component. An insulator profile of an insulator portion includes a curved surface, which is free of steps and is produced by gray-tone lithography in the termination portion of an anode. The device also includes a substrate that is covered with an insulating layer having a thickness of between 0.5 &mgr;m and 15 &mgr;m, an insulator layer having a thickness is covered with a photosensitive layer (photoresist layer) where the photoresist layer is exposed through a mask, which changes in its gray-tone value in accordance with the course of curvature of the surface of at least one insulator profile, and is subsequently structured to form at least one resist remainder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Roland Sittig, Detlef Nagel, Ralf-Ulrich Dudde, Bernd Wagner, Klaus Reimer
  • Publication number: 20040115908
    Abstract: A method for passivating a III-V material Schottky layer of a field effect transistor. The transistor has a gate electrode in Schottky contact with a gate electrode contact region of the Schottky layer. The gate electrode is adapted to control a flow of carriers between a source electrode of the transistor and a drain electrode of such transistor. The transistor has exposed surface portions of the Schottky layer beween the source electrode and the drain electrode adjacent to the gate electrode contact region of the Schottky layer. The method includes removing organic contamination from the exposed surface portions of the Schottky layer using a oxygen plasma. The contamination removed surface portions of the Schottky layer are exposed to a solution of ammonium sulfide and NH4OH. After removal of the solution, the exposed regions are dried in a nitrogen enviroment. A layer of passivating material is deposited over the dried surface portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Philbert Francis Marsh, Colin S. Whelan
  • Patent number: 6746971
    Abstract: An organic memory cell made of two electrodes with a controllably conductive media between the two electrodes is disclosed. The controllably conductive media contains an organic semiconductor layer and passive layer. The controllably conductive media changes its impedance when an external stimuli such as an applied electric field is imposed thereon. Methods of making the organic memory devices/cells, methods of using the organic memory devices/cells, and devices such as computers containing the organic memory devices/cells are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Minh Van Ngo, Sergey D. Lopatin, Suzette K. Pangrle, Nicholas H. Tripsas, Hieu T. Pham
  • Patent number: 6744105
    Abstract: A core memory array having a plurality of charge trapping dielectric memory devices. The core memory array can include a substrate having a first semiconductor bit line and a second semiconductor bit line formed therein and a body region interposed between the first and the second bit lines. Over the body region can be formed a first dielectric layer disposed, a dielectric charge trapping layer and a second dielectric layer. At least one word line can be disposed over the second dielectric layer, which defines a channel within the body region. Each bit line can include a bit line contact assembly having a locally metalized portion of the bit line and a conductive via traversing a dielectric region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Cinti Xiaohua Chen, Hiroyuki Kinoshita, Jeff P. Erhardt, Weidong Qian, Jean Yee-Mei Yang
  • Patent number: 6710419
    Abstract: An improved Schottky device, having a low resistivity layer of semiconductor material, a high resistivity layer of semiconductor material and a buried dopant region positioned in the high resistivity layer utilized to reduce reverse leakage current. The low resistivity layer can be an N+ material while the high resistivity layer can be an N− layer. The buried dopant region can be of P+ material, thus forming a PN junction with an associated charge depletion zone in the N− layer and an associated low reverse leakage current. The location of the P+ material allows for a full Schottky barrier between the N− material and a barrier metal to be maintained, thus the device experiences a low forward voltage drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Fabtech, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter R. Buchanan, Roman J. Hamerski
  • Publication number: 20030235936
    Abstract: A CMOS device and method of fabrication are disclosed. The present invention utilizes Schottky barrier contacts for source and/or drain contact fabrication within the context of a CMOS device and CMOS integrated circuits, to eliminate the requirement for halo/pocket implants, shallow source/drain extensions to control short channel effects, well implant steps, and complex device isolation steps. Additionally, the present invention eliminates the parasitic bipolar gain associated with CMOS device operation, reduces manufacturing costs, tightens control of device performance parameters, and provides for superior device characteristics as compared to the prior art. The present invention, in one embodiment, uses a silicide exclusion mask process to form the dual silicide Schottky barrier source and/or drain contact for the complimentary PMOS and NMOS devices forming the CMOS device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Inventors: John P. Snyder, John M. Larson
  • Patent number: 6613973
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion layer 13, a transparent electrode layer 14, an insulating layer 15, and a back electrode layer 16 are successively formed in this order on a conductive substrate 11 having a through-hole 17 formed therein, and the transparent electrode layer 14 and the back electrode layer 16 are electrically communicated with each other through the through-hole 17 so as to provide a photovoltaic element in which no grid is employed and improve the productivity and the production yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takaaki Mukai, Kimitoshi Fukae, Akiharu Takabayashi
  • Patent number: 6599788
    Abstract: A crystalline semiconductor film in which the position and size of a crystal grain is controlled is fabricated, and the crystalline semiconductor film is used for a channel formation region of a TFT, so that a high performance TFT is realized. An island-like semiconductor layer is made to have a temperature distribution, and a region where temperature change is gentle is provided to control the nucleus generation speed and nucleus generation density, so that the crystal grain is enlarged. In a region where an island-like semiconductor layer 1003 overlaps with a base film 1002, a thick portion is formed in the base film 1002. The volume of this portion increases and heat capacity becomes large, so that a cycle of temperature change by irradiation of a pulse laser beam to the island-like semiconductor layer becomes gentle (as compared with other thin portion).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ritsuko Kawasaki, Kenji Kasahara, Hisashi Ohtani
  • Patent number: 6476429
    Abstract: A power MOSFET includes an n−-drain layer, a drain contact layer disposed on a first side of the drain layer, a p-type base layer disposed on a second side of the drain layer, and an n-source layer disposed on the base layer. A gate electrode faces, through a gate insulating film, a channel region, which is part of the base layer between the drain and source layers. Source and drain electrodes are electrically connected to the source and drain contact layers, respectively. A plurality of hetero regions having a dielectric constant higher than that of the drain layer is disposed in the drain layer between the source and drain electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Yoshiro Baba
  • Publication number: 20020140046
    Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductor component which is capable of blocking such as an (IGBT), a thyristor, a GTO or diodes, especially schottky diodes. An insulator profile section (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 11) provided in the border area of an anode metallic coating (1, 31) is fixed (directly in the edge area) on the substrate (9) of the component. The insulator profile has a curved area (KB) and a base area (SB), said curved area having a surface (OF) which begins flat and curves outward and upward in a steadily increasing manner. A metallic coating (MET1; 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 31b) is deposited on the surface (OF). Said coating directly follows the surface curvature and laterally extends the inner anode metallic coating. The upper end of the curved metallic coating (MET1; 30a, 30b . . . ) is distanced and insulated from one of these surrounding outer metallic coatings (MET2; 3) by the surrounding base area (SB) of the insulator profile (10a, . . .
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Roland Sittig, Detlef Nagel, Ralf-Ulrich Dudde, Bernd Wagner, Klaus Reimer
  • Patent number: 6455344
    Abstract: A high gain and low leakage current porous silicon metal-semiconductor-metal planar photodetector was fabricated through rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). A high responsivity of 2.15 A/W can be obtained under a 0.85 mW 675 nm laser diode illumination. The gain is 400%. It shows high potential as a device applied in optoelectronics and optoelectronic integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: National Science Council
    Inventor: Ming-Kwei Lee
  • Publication number: 20020105046
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor circuit device comprising a diode bridge circuit formed of a Schottky barrier diode and a periphery circuit formed of a MOS transistor which are formed on a single silicon substrate, wherein a Schottky barrier, which is a component of the Schottky barrier diode, is made of a silicide layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Inventors: Hironori Matsumoto, Toshinori Ohmi
  • Patent number: 6399413
    Abstract: The specification describes a Schottky barrier device with a distributed guard ring where the guard ring is spaced from the barrier by an MOS gate so that the guard ring and barrier are connected at low bias by an inversion layer. According to the invention, the MOS gate is used to precisely space the guard ring from the Schottky barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp.
    Inventor: Thomas J. Krutsick