Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

International Business Machines Corporation

Industrial Technology Research Institute

Ritek Corporation

Denny Duan-Lee Tang

Wen-Chin Lin

Wai-Yi Lien

Noboru Kamijo

Frank Rui-Feng Chu

Chao-Hsiung Wang

Li-Shyue Lai

Wei-Hsiang Wang

Chuan-Ying Lee

Hu H Chao

Teng-Chien Yu

Hui-Fang Tsai

Shyhyeu Wang

A keyboard type input device used in conjunction with a wristwatch or a portable telephone has multiple key positions provided as character entry keys. Each key corresponds to one key in the selected row of the conventional QWERTY keyboard. A second set of control buttons provide for the selection of which row of a conventional QWERTY keyboard are represented by the character keys in addition to other functions such as case shift, and alpha-numerical control functions. A selected row is shown on a display, as visual feedback. Alternatively the keys are implemented as LCDs with pressure sensors and the characters of the selected row are displayed directly on the corresponding key positions. The keyboard finds particular use in portable devices as it demands less space than traditional keyboards.

Compact universal keyboard

A phase change memory device and a method of forming the same are provided. The phase change memory device includes a conducting electrode in a dielectric layer, a bottom electrode over the conducting electrode, a phase change layer over the bottom electrode, and a top electrode over the phase change layer. The phase change memory device may further include a heat sink layer between the phase change layer and the top electrode. The resistivities of the bottom electrode and the top electrode are preferably greater than the resistivity of the phase change material in the crystalline state.

Phase change memory devices with reduced programming current

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate; an isolation structure in the substrate, wherein the isolation structure defines a region therein; a first semiconductor region having at least a portion in the region defined by the isolation structure, wherein the first semiconductor region is of a first conductivity type; a second semiconductor region on the first semiconductor region, wherein the second semiconductor region is of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type; and a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type on the second semiconductor region, wherein the third semiconductor region has at least a portion higher than a top surface of the isolation structure.

Elevated bipolar transistor structure

An integrated circuit structure for isolating substrate noise and a method of forming the same are provided. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a semi-insulating region is formed using proton bombardment in a substrate between a first circuit region and a second circuit region. Two guard rings are formed along the semi-insulating region, each on a side. A backside semi-insulating region is formed through proton bombardment from the back surface of the substrate into the substrate. The backside semi-insulating region is preferably connected with the semi-insulating region. A grounded guard layer is preferably formed on the backside semi-insulating region.

Method and structure for isolating substrate noise

Isolating substrate noise by forming semi-insulating regions

A keyboard type input device has multiple key positions provided as character entry keys. Each key corresponds to one key in the selected row of the conventional QWERTY keyboard. A second set of control buttons provide for the selection of which row of a conventional QWERTY keyboard are represented by the character keys in addition to other functions such as case shift, and alpha-numerical control functions. A selected row is shown on a display, as visual feedback. Alternatively the keys are implemented as LCDs with pressure sensors and the characters of the selected row are displayed directly on the corresponding key positions. The keyboard finds particular use in portable devices as it demands less space than traditional keyboards. The keyboard type input device is implemented with various electronic appliances, including portable phones.

A magnetoresistive magnetic data storage product and a method for fabrication thereof both employ a magnetic data storage device formed over a substrate. The magnetic data storage device comprises a free magnetoresistive material layer separated from a pinned magnetoresistive material layer by a dielectric spacer material layer, each having a sidewall. The magnetic data storage product also comprises a sidewall spacer material layer formed annularly surrounding and covering the sidewall of at least one of the free magnetoresistive material layer and the pinned magnetoresistive material layer. The magnetic data storage product is fabricated with enhanced magnetic data storage density.

Magnetoresistive (MR) magnetic data storage device with sidewall spacer layer isolation

A new magnetic RAM cell device is achieved. The device comprises a plurality MTJ cells each comprising a free layer and a pinned layer separated by a dielectric layer. A common conductive layer couples together all of the pinned layers of the MJT cell. A first end of the common conductive layer is switchably coupled to a programming line. A second end of the common conductive layer is switchably coupled to a ground. A pluraity of diodes is used. Each diode is coupled between one of the MJT cells and one of a plurality of bit lines.

Magnetic RAM cell device and array architecture

A problem associated with the programming of MRAM (magnetic random access memory) has been that the required current is orders of magnitude larger than that needed for many other memory devices such as SRAMs or DRAMs. This problem has been overcome by adding heating lines to the standard array configuration. These lines provide local heating sources located in close proximity to the memory elements so that when a given element is being programmed it is also being heated. The effect of the heating is to lower the threshold for magnetization so that a lower field (and hence reduced program current) can be used. It is also possible to make the base layer of the memory element itself serve as the heating element.

Local thermal enhancement of magnetic memory cell during programming

A virtual input device uses the acoustical signature of the user's fingers to determine which character is selected. Rows of acoustical sensors having different acoustical properties are spaced in the vertical direction. When a user touches a specific row with a particular finger a unique acoustical signature is produced. The acoustical signature is analyzed to determine the finger used, the row, and the specific action by the finger, e.g. slide, press, tap. The combinations of the row, finger and action define the character selected. The characters are associated with the combinations in such a way to provide a traditional keyboard setup. Visual feedback of the character selected is provided by a display device of the system.

Input device that analyzes acoustical signatures

A buried channel lateral quasi-unipolar transistor having low flicker or 1/f noise has a bulk region that forms the base of the buried quasi-unipolar transistor. A drain region is implanted into the bulk region to form a drain/collector. A source region is placed at a distance from the drain region and is implanted in the bulk region to form a source/emitter. A channel layer is implanted in the bulk region between the source region and the drain region to provide a low resistivity conduction channel between the drain/collector and the source/emitter. A gate oxide is placed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate immediately above the channel layer. Then a gate electrode of a conductive material such as polycrystalline silicon doped to with a material having a conductivity opposite that of the source/drain deposited on the gate oxide above the channel region. A biasing voltage source connected between the gate electrode and the bulk region to lower a built-in voltage of the quasi-unipolar transistor. The buried channel lateral quasi-unipolar transistor further may have an overlayer implanted between the channel layer and the surface of the semiconductor substrate to form the buried channel layer rather than at the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The buried channel lateral quasi-unipolar transistor may be placed in a diffusion well into which a bulk region is implanted.

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Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Denny Duan-Lee Tang