Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Ming-Tai Chung

Tai-I Yang

Hong-Seng Shue

Ming-Yi Lin

Wei-Ding Wu

Shao-Chi Yu

Jui-Chun Weng

Yuh-Hwa Chang

A device includes a semiconductor substrate, a contact plug over the semiconductor substrate, and an Inter-Layer Dielectric (ILD) layer over the semiconductor substrate, with the contact plug being disposed in the ILD. An air gap is sealed by a portion of the ILD and the semiconductor substrate. The air gap forms a full air gap ring encircling a portion of the semiconductor substrate.

Semiconductor isolation structure with air gaps in deep trenches

Methods and apparatus for MEMS release are disclosed. A method is described including providing a substrate including at least one MEMS device supported by a sacrificial layer; performing an etch in solution to remove the sacrificial layer from at least one MEMS device; immersing the substrate including the at least one MEMS device in an organic solvent; and while the substrate is immersed in the organic solvent, removing water from the organic solvent until the water remaining in the organic solvent is less than a predetermined threshold. An apparatus is disclosed for performing the methods. Additional alternative methods are disclosed.

Methods and apparatus for MEMS structure release

Embodiments of mechanisms of an optical inspection system for inspecting an object are provided. The optical inspection system includes a light source emitting a coherent beam having a first width, and a beam expander increasing the first width to a second width. The optical inspection system also includes an polaroid module adjacent to the beam expander and polarizing the coherent beam. The object generates an inspection beam with an interference pattern by reflecting the polarized coherent beam. The optical inspection system further includes an image module capturing the inspection beam.

Optical inspection system and optical inspection method

A method and structure for preventing film delamination provide for forming a thick film then partitioning the thick film into a plurality of discrete portions prior to subsequent thermal processing operations. The partitioning alleviates the effects of film stress at the interface between the film and the underlying material and prevents delamination during the subsequent thermal cycling operations, that take place subsequent to the formation of the film. The partitioned film includes a pattern density of at least about 80 percent and the discrete portions do not individually serve as device structures.

Growing community of inventors

Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Ming-Tai Chung