Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Macronix International Co., Ltd.

Ho-Chun Liou

Chun-Hsiung Hung

Chun-Ting Liao

Yi-Te Chen

Ming-Hui Yang

Chen-Yuan Chen

Nai-Ping Kuo

Hsin-Yi Ho

Hung-Sen Wang

Ruey-Hsin Liu

Han-Sung Chen

Shih-Fen Huang

Wen-Chiao Ho

Yu-Shen Lin

Kuo-Ching Chang

Kuo-Yu Liao

Wei-Sho Hung

Shih-Chi Yang

Yun-Ta Tsai

Gin-Liang Chen

Shuo-Nan Hung

Yung-Feng Lin

Shin-Jang Shen

Hsien-Wen Hsu

Hsin-Chien Chen

Tu-Shun Chen

Gin-Laing Chen

A device includes an integrated circuit, a first seal ring, a second seal ring, and a dielectric layer. The first seal ring surrounds the integrated circuit and includes a plurality of first seal portions separated from each other by a plurality of first gaps. The second seal ring surrounds the integrated circuit, between the integrated circuit and the first seal ring and includes a plurality of second seal portions separated from each other by a plurality of second gaps. The dielectric layer surrounds the first and second seal rings and includes a plurality of first filling portions in the first gaps, respectively, and a plurality of second filling portions in the second gaps, respectively. A connection line of one of the first filling portions and one of the second filling portions closest to said one of the first filling portions is not parallel to edges of the integrated circuit.

Semiconductor device

A device includes an outer seal ring, an integrated circuit, and an inner seal ring. The outer seal ring forms a first closed loop. The integrated circuit is surrounded by the outer seal ring. The inner seal ring is between the outer seal ring and the integrated circuit. The inner seal ring forms a second closed loop that defines an enclosed region external to the integrated circuit.

A high-voltage device includes a first frame-like isolation and a second frame-like isolation separated from each other, a first frame-like gate structure covering the first frame-like isolation, a second frame-like gate structure covering the second frame-like isolation, a first drain region enclosed by the first frame-like isolation, a second drain region enclosed by the second frame-like isolation, a first frame-like source region surrounding the first frame-like gate structure, a second frame-like source region surrounding the second frame-like gate structure, a first doped region surrounding the first and second frame-like gate structures, and a second doped region disposed between the first and second frame-like gate structures. The first and second drain regions, and the first and second frame-like source regions include a first conductivity type. The first and the second doped region include a second conductivity type. The first conductivity type and the second conductivity type are complementary to each other.

High voltage device

A high-voltage device includes a substrate, a first well region disposed in the substrate, at least a first isolation, a frame-like gate structure over the first well region and covering a portion of the first isolation, a drain region in the first well region and separated from the frame-like gate structure by the first isolation, and a source region separated from the drain region by the first isolation and the frame-like gate structure. The first well region, the drain region and the source region include a first conductivity type, and the substrate includes a second conductivity type. The first conductivity type and the second conductivity type are complementary to each other.

A semiconductor device includes an integrated circuit, an outer seal ring, and an inner seal ring. The outer seal ring forms a first closed loop surrounding the integrated circuit. The inner seal ring is between the outer seal ring and the integrated circuit. The inner seal ring has a first seal portion surrounding the integrated circuit and a second seal portion spaced apart from the first seal portion, a first connector interconnecting the first seal portion and the second seal portion, and a second connector spaced apart from the first connector and interconnecting the first seal portion and the second seal portion. The first seal portion, the second seal portion, the first connector, and the second connector form a second closed loop.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises forming an integrated circuit, surrounding the integrated circuit with an inner seal ring, and surrounding the inner seal ring with a closed-loop outer seal ring. The inner seal ring includes a plurality of metal layers in a stacked configuration, first and second seal portions separated from each other, and third and fourth seal portions spaced apart from the first and second seal portions and separated from each other.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

A semiconductor device includes an integrated circuit and a guard ring. The integrated circuit includes a first circuit and a second circuit separated from the first circuit. The guard ring is disposed around the first circuit and between the first circuit and the second circuit. The guard ring includes an outer ring, an inner ring, and two connectors. The outer ring is disposed around the first circuit and has a first gap. The inner ring is disposed between the outer ring and the first circuit and has a second gap. The two connectors connect the outer ring and the inner ring. The outer ring, the inner ring, and the two connectors form a closed loop.

A semiconductor device includes an integrated circuit, at least one outer seal ring, and at least one inner seal ring. The outer seal ring surrounds the integrated circuit. The outer seal ring includes a plurality of metal layers in a stacked configuration, and the metal layers are closed loops. The inner seal ring is disposed between the outer seal ring and the integrated circuit and separated from the outer seal ring. The inner seal ring has at least one gap extending from a region encircled by the inner seal ring to a region outside the inner seal ring.

An integrated circuit and a method of fabricating the integrated circuit are provided. In various embodiments, the integrated circuit includes a substrate and a polysilicon resistor. The polysilicon resistor is disposed on the substrate. The polysilicon resistor has at least one positive TCR portion and at least one negative TCR portion. The positive TCR portion is adjacent to the negative TCR portion, and the positive TCR portion is in direct contact with the negative TCR portion.

Integrated circuit and method of fabricating the same

A method for erasing a flash EEPROM. The flash EEROM includes a number of memory units. First, the flash EEPROM is pre-programmed. Second, the step of erasing the flash EEPROM is performed and the flash EEPROM is then soft-programmed. Subsequently, the final step is performed to determine if the erasing step succeeds.

Method for erasing a flash EEPROM

The present invention provides a dual reference cell sensing scheme for non-volatile memory. A high voltage reference cell and a low voltage reference cell are individually coupled to two sense amplifiers for providing two distinct reference voltages for comparison against the memory cell voltage. The output of the two sense amplifiers is further connected to a second stage sense amplifier to determine the status of the memory. The dual reference cell sensing scheme provides an increased sensing window which increases performance under low voltage application. The dual reference cell sensing scheme can be implemented by either voltage-based, current-based, or ground.

Dual reference cell sensing scheme for non-volatile memory

A system for reading data in a memory cell includes three comparators, each of which has two inputs. A first reference cell having a low reference voltage is coupled to one input of the first comparator. A second reference cell having a high reference voltage is coupled to one input of the second comparator. A memory cell having a memory cell voltage is coupled to the other input of the first and second comparators. One input of the third comparator is coupled to the first comparator's output signal, which includes a difference voltage between the memory cell voltage and the low reference voltage. The other input of the third comparator is coupled to the second comparator's output signal, which includes a difference voltage between the memory cell voltage and the high reference voltage. A method and apparatus for reading data in a memory cell also are described.

Apparatus and system for reading non-volatile memory with dual reference cells

A method for designing a circuit layout of non-neighboring metal bit lines to reduce coupling effect in sensing operation is disclosed. The method comprises providing a memory array having a plurality of bit lines arranged sequentially, wherein every two adjacent bit lines are paired in the sensing operation of a memory cell in the memory array. The first embodiment is presented by assigning a first pair of the bit lines permuted with each other to create a non-neighboring bit line layout. The second embodiment is presented by inserting one of a second pair of the bit lines into a first pair of bit lines to separate the first pair of bit lines in layout design. The method further comprises shrinking the layout space between two adjacent non-paired bit lines. In this way, the method contributes to the reduction of metal bit line coupling effect without any trade off of integrated circuit density by modifying the circuit layout of metal bit lines to a non-neighboring bit line arrangement in a memory array.

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Ho-Chun Liou