Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Hsin-yu Chen

Jui-Chun Weng

Hsi-Cheng Hsu

Han-Zong Pan

You-Cheng Jhang

Wei-Ding Wu

Ji-Hong Chiang

Ching-Hsiang Hu

Tzu-Heng Chang

Chia-Chun Hung

Lavanya Sanagavarapu

Kuo-Hao Lee

Pin-Hsin Chang

Jia-Syuan Li

Chun-Peng Li

Jiun-Jie Chiou

Shin-Hua Chen

Chin-Min Lin

Sheng-Yuan Lin

Shyh-Wei Cheng

Chiu-Hua Chung

Chia-Yu Lin

Yen-Chiang Liu

Li-Yang Tu

Cheng-San Chou

Yen Chiang Liu

Chien-Tai Su

Yen-Chieh Tu

Jiu-Chun Weng

Chen-Wei Chiang

Chia Yu Lin

In some embodiments, a semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer, a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) structure defined in the semiconductor layer, a bond ring over the semiconductor layer, and a cap structure over the MEMS structure and bonded to the bond ring. The MEMS structure has an upper surface and the cap structure has a lower surface facing the upper surface of the MEMS structure. Dimples of eutectic material are on the upper surface of the MEMS structure.

Semiconductor structure and method of making

The present disclosure provides electrostatic discharge circuits and structures and methods for operating the electrostatic discharge circuits and structures. A circuit includes a first transistor and a second transistor. Each of the first transistor and second transistor includes a drain, a source, and a gate. The drain of the first transistor is connected to a first terminal; the source thereof is connected to receive a first voltage, and the gate thereof is connected to receive a second voltage different from the first voltage. The source and the gate of the second transistor are connected to receive the second voltage, and the drain thereof is connected to the first terminal. In response to the terminal reaching a trigger voltage, the first transistor is configured to be turned on, such that electrostatic charges at the first terminal are configured to be discharged through the first transistor.

Electrostatic discharge circuits and methods for operating the same

Alignment of devices formed on substrates that are to be bonded may be achieved through the use of scribe lines between the devices, where the scribe lines progressively increase or decrease in size from a center to an edge of one or more of the substrates to compensate for differences in the thermal expansion rates of the substrates. The devices on the substrates are brought into alignment as the substrates are heated during a bonding operation due to the progressively increased or decreased sizes of the scribe lines. The scribe lines may be arranged in a single direction in a substrate to compensate for thermal expansion along a single axis of the substrate or may be arranged in a plurality of directions to compensate for actinomorphic thermal expansion.

Wafer bonding alignment

Disclosed is a cost-effective method to fabricate a multifunctional collimator structure for contact image sensors to filter ambient infrared light to reduce noises. In one embodiment, an optical collimator, includes: a dielectric layer; a substrate; a plurality of via holes; and a conductive layer, wherein the dielectric layer is formed over the substrate, wherein the plurality of via holes are configured as an array along a lateral direction of a first surface of the dielectric layer, wherein each of the plurality of via holes extends through the dielectric layer and the substrate from the first surface of the dielectric layer to a second surface of the substrate in a vertical direction, and wherein the conductive layer is formed over at least one of the following: the first surface of the first dielectric layer and a portion of sidewalls of each of the plurality of via holes, and wherein the conductive layer is configured so as to allow the optical collimator to filter light in a range of wavelengths.

Multifunctional collimator for contact image sensors

A portion of a buffer layer on a backside of a substrate of a photomask assembly may be removed prior to formation of one or more capping layers on the backside of the substrate. The one or more capping layers may be formed directly on the backside of the substrate where the buffer layer is removed from the substrate, and a hard mask layer may be formed directly on the one or more capping layers. The one or more capping layers may include a low-stress material to promote adhesion between the one or more capping layers and the substrate, and to reduce and/or minimize peeling and delamination of the capping layer(s) from the substrate. This may reduce the likelihood of damage to the pellicle layer and/or other components of the photomask assembly and/or may increase the yield of an exposure process in which the photomask assembly is used.

Photomask assembly and method of forming the same

A method for treating a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) component is disclosed. In one example, the method includes the steps of providing a first wafer, treating the first wafer to form cavities and at least an oxide layer on a top surface of the first wafer using a first chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, providing a second wafer, bonding the second wafer on a top surface of the at least one oxide layer, treating the second wafer to form a first plurality of structures, depositing a layer of Self-Assembling Monolayer (SAM) to a surface of the MEMS component using a second CVD process.

Anti-stiction process for MEMS device

Optical sensors and their making methods are described herein. In some embodiments, a described sensing apparatus includes: an image sensor; a collimator above the image sensor, wherein the collimator includes an array of apertures; and an optical filtering layer above the collimator, wherein the optical filtering layer is configured to filter a portion of light to be transmitted into the array of apertures.

Optical sensor and methods of making the same

A photomask assembly may be formed such that stress relief trenches are formed in a pellicle frame of the photomask assembly. The stress relief trenches may reduce or prevent damage to a pellicle that may otherwise result from deformation of the pellicle. The stress relief trenches may be formed in areas of the pellicle frame to allow the pellicle frame to deform with the pellicle, thereby reducing the amount damage to the pellicle caused by the pellicle frame.

Pellicle frame with stress relief trenches

The present disclosure provides electrostatic discharge circuits and structures and methods for operating the electrostatic discharge circuits and structures. A circuit includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor includes a drain, a source, a gate, and a bulk. The drain of the first transistor is connected to a first terminal. The source of the first transistor is connected to receive a first voltage. The gate and the bulk of the first transistor is connected to receive a second voltage. The second transistor includes a drain, a source, a gate, and a bulk. The source, the gate, and the bulk of the second transistor is connected to receive the second voltage. The drain of the second transistor is connected to the first terminal. In response to the terminal reaching a trigger voltage, the first transistor is configured to be turned on.

Disclosed is a method to fabricate a multifunctional collimator structure In one embodiment, an optical collimator, includes: a dielectric layer; a substrate; and a plurality of via holes, wherein the dielectric layer is formed over the substrate, wherein the plurality of via holes are configured as an array along a lateral direction of a first surface of the dielectric layer, wherein each of the plurality of via holes extends through the dielectric layer and the substrate from the first surface of the dielectric layer to a second surface of the substrate in a vertical direction, wherein the substrate has a bulk impurity doping concentration equal to or greater than 1×10per cubic centimeter (cm) and a first thickness, and wherein the bulk impurity doping concentration and the first thickness of the substrate are configured so as to allow the optical collimator to filter light in a range of wavelengths.

The present disclosure provides a power clamp device. The power clamp device includes a delay element, a first transistor, a second transistor, and a gate control circuit. The delay element has an input terminal and an output terminal. The first transistor has a gate electrically connected to the output terminal of the delay element. The second transistor has a source electrically connected to a drain of the first transistor. The gate control circuit has a first terminal electrically connected to the input terminal of the delay element, a second terminal electrically connected to the output terminal of the delay element, and a third terminal electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor.

Growing community of inventors

HSINCHU, Taiwan

Hsin-yu Chen