Patents by Inventor Christoph Dirnecker

Christoph Dirnecker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9865582
    Abstract: An electronic device comprising a semiconductor structure having a back end capacitor and a back end thin film resistor and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor structure includes a first dielectric layer, a bottom plate of the capacitor and a thin film resistor body. The bottom plate and the resistor body are laterally spaced apart portions of the same thin film layer. The bottom plate further includes a conductive layer overlying the thin film layer. A second dielectric layer is disposed on the conductive layer of the bottom plate of the capacitor. A top plate of the capacitor is disposed on the second dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Christoph Dirnecker
  • Patent number: 9704944
    Abstract: An integrated circuit contains three thin film resistors over a dielectric layer. The first resistor body includes only a bottom thin film layer and the first resistor heads include the bottom thin film layer, a middle thin film layer and a top thin film layer. The second resistor body and heads include all three thin film layers. The third resistor body does not include the middle thin film layer. The three resistors are formed using two etch masks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Karsten Spinger, Franz Stingl
  • Publication number: 20160141283
    Abstract: An electronic device comprising a semiconductor structure having a back end capacitor and a back end thin film resistor and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor structure includes a first dielectric layer, a bottom plate of the capacitor and a thin film resistor body. The bottom plate and the resistor body are laterally spaced apart portions of the same thin film layer. The bottom plate further includes a conductive layer overlying the thin film layer. A second dielectric layer is disposed on the conductive layer of the bottom plate of the capacitor. A top plate of the capacitor is disposed on the second dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventor: Christoph Dirnecker
  • Patent number: 9281355
    Abstract: An electronic device comprising a semiconductor structure having a back end capacitor and a back end thin film resistor and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor structure includes a first dielectric layer, a bottom plate of the capacitor and a thin film resistor body. The bottom plate and the resistor body are laterally spaced apart portions of the same thin film layer. The bottom plate further includes a conductive layer overlying the thin film layer. A second dielectric layer is disposed on the conductive layer of the bottom plate of the capacitor. A top plate of the capacitor is disposed on the second dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Christoph Dirnecker
  • Publication number: 20150318340
    Abstract: An electronic device comprising a semiconductor structure having a back end capacitor and a back end thin film resistor and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor structure includes a first dielectric layer, a bottom plate of the capacitor and a thin film resistor body. The bottom plate and the resistor body are laterally spaced apart portions of the same thin film layer. The bottom plate further includes a conductive layer overlying the thin film layer. A second dielectric layer is disposed on the conductive layer of the bottom plate of the capacitor. A top plate of the capacitor is disposed on the second dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventor: Christoph DIRNECKER
  • Publication number: 20140239449
    Abstract: An integrated circuit contains three thin film resistors over a dielectric layer. The first resistor body includes only a bottom thin film layer and the first resistor heads include the bottom thin film layer, a middle thin film layer and a top thin film layer. The second resistor body and heads include all three thin film layers. The third resistor body does not include the middle thin film layer. The three resistors are formed using two etch masks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Karsten Spinger, Franz Stingl
  • Patent number: 8803287
    Abstract: An electronic device comprising a semiconductor structure having an integrated circuit back end capacitor and an integrated circuit back end thin film resistor and a method of manufacturing the same is provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a first dielectric layer, a bottom plate of the capacitor and a thin film resistor body. Furthermore, there is a second dielectric layer which is disposed on the bottom plate of the capacitor and on top of the thin film resistor body. A top plate of the capacitor is disposed on the second dielectric layer in a region of the second dielectric layer which is defined by the lateral dimensions of the bottom plate of the capacitor. The bottom plate and the resistor body are laterally spaced apart layers which are both disposed on the first dielectric layer and which are composed of a same thin film material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Berthold Staufer
  • Publication number: 20140103489
    Abstract: An electronic device comprising a semiconductor structure having an integrated circuit back end capacitor and an integrated circuit back end thin film resistor and a method of manufacturing the same is provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a first dielectric layer, a bottom plate of the capacitor and a thin film resistor body. Furthermore, there is a second dielectric layer which is disposed on the bottom plate of the capacitor and on top of the thin film resistor body. A top plate of the capacitor is disposed on the second dielectric layer in a region of the second dielectric layer which is defined by the lateral dimensions of the bottom plate of the capacitor. The bottom plate and the resistor body are laterally spaced apart layers which are both disposed on the first dielectric layer and which are composed of a same thin film material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph DIRNECKER, Berthold STAUFER
  • Patent number: 8692356
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit. An electrically resistive layer of a material for serving as a thin film resistor (TFR) is deposited. A first electrically insulating layer is deposited on the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. An electrically conductive layer of an electrically conductive material is deposited. An area is left without the conductive layer and the area overlaps the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. A second electrically insulating layer is deposited on top of the conductive layer. A first VIA opening is etched through the second insulating layer, the area without the conductive layer adjacent to the electrically conductive layer and through the first insulating layer down to the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. A conductive material is deposited in the first VIA opening so as to electrically connect the conductive layer and the electrically resistive layer of the TFR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Wolfgang Ploss
  • Publication number: 20130249056
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit. An electrically resistive layer of a material for serving as a thin film resistor (TFR) is deposited. A first electrically insulating layer is deposited on the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. An electrically conductive layer of an electrically conductive material is deposited. An area is left without the conductive layer and the area overlaps the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. A second electrically insulating layer is deposited on top of the conductive layer. A first VIA opening is etched through the second insulating layer, the area without the conductive layer adjacent to the electrically conductive layer and through the first insulating layer down to the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. A conductive material is deposited in the first VIA opening so as to electrically connect the conductive layer and the electrically resistive layer of the TFR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Deutschland GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Wolfgang Ploss
  • Patent number: 8470683
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit. An electrically resistive layer of a material for serving as a thin film resistor (TFR) is deposited. A first electrically insulating layer is deposited on the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. An electrically conductive layer of an electrically conductive material is deposited. An area is left without the conductive layer and the area overlaps the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. A second electrically insulating layer is deposited on top of the conductive layer. A first VIA opening is etched through the second insulating layer, the area without the conductive layer adjacent to the electrically conductive layer and through the first insulating layer down to the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. A conductive material is deposited in the first VIA opening so as to electrically connect the conductive layer and the electrically resistive layer of the TFR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Wolfgang Ploss
  • Patent number: 8088664
    Abstract: A method of forming an integrated deep and shallow trench isolation structure comprises depositing a hard mask on a film stack having a plurality of layers formed on a substrate such that the hard mask is deposited on a furthermost layer from the substrate, imprinting a first pattern into the hard mask to define an open end of a first trench, imprinting a second pattern into the hard mask to define an open end of a second trench, and etching into the film stack the first trench to a first depth and the second trench to a second depth such that the first trench and the second trench each define a blind aperture in the surface of the film stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Haussmann, Christoph Dirnecker, Rupert Wagner
  • Patent number: 8012844
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit comprises depositing a electrically resistive layer of a material for serving as a thin film resistor (TFR), depositing an electrically insulating layer on the resistor layer, removing the electrically insulating layer from outside an electrically active area of the resistor layer corresponding to a target TFR area, and depositing an electrically conductive layer of an electrically conductive material such that the conductive layer overlaps the target TFR area and the conductive layer electrically contacts the resistor layer outside the target TFR area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Philipp Steinmann, Badih El-Kareh
  • Publication number: 20110204482
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit. An electrically resistive layer of a material for serving as a thin film resistor (TFR) is deposited. A first electrically insulating layer is deposited on the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. An electrically conductive layer of an electrically conductive material is deposited. An area is left without the conductive layer and the area overlaps the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. A second electrically insulating layer is deposited on top of the conductive layer. A first VIA opening is etched through the second insulating layer, the area without the conductive layer adjacent to the electrically conductive layer and through the first insulating layer down to the electrically resistive layer of the TFR. A conductive material is deposited in the first VIA opening so as to electrically connect the conductive layer and the electrically resistive layer of the TFR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Wolfgang Ploss
  • Patent number: 7736986
    Abstract: An integrated stacked capacitor comprises a first capacitor film (46) of polycrystalline silicide, a second capacitor film (48) and a first dielectric (26) sandwiched between the first capacitor film (46) and second capacitor film (48). A second dielectric (34) and a third capacitor film (50) are provided. The second dielectric (34) is sandwiched between the second capacitor film (48) and third capacitor film (50). A method for fabrication of an integrated stacked capacitor comprises the following sequence of steps: applying a polysilicide layer (20) to form the first capacitor film (46); applying a first dielectric (26); applying a first metallization layer (28) to form the second capacitor film (48); applying a second dielectric (34); and applying a second metallization layer (44) to form the third capacitor film (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Jeffrey Babcock, Scott Balster
  • Publication number: 20100136764
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit comprises depositing a electrically resistive layer of a material for serving as a thin film resistor (TFR), depositing an electrically insulating layer on the resistor layer, removing the electrically insulating layer from outside an electrically active area of the resistor layer corresponding to a target TFR area, and depositing an electrically conductive layer of an electrically conductive material such that the conductive layer overlaps the target TFR area and the conductive layer electrically contacts the resistor layer outside the target TFR area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Philipp Steinmann, Badih El-Kareh
  • Publication number: 20080265368
    Abstract: An integrated stacked capacitor comprises a first capacitor film (46) of polycrystalline silicide (poly), a second capacitor film (48) and a first dielectric (26) sandwiched between the first capacitor film (46) and second capacitor film (48). A second dielectric (34) and a third capacitor film (50) are provided. The second dielectric (34) is sandwiched between the second capacitor film (48) and third capacitor film (50). A method for fabrication of an integrated stacked capacitor comprises the following sequence of steps: applying a polysilicide layer (20) to form the first capacitor film (46); applying a first dielectric (26); applying a first metallization layer (28) to form the second capacitor film (48); applying a second dielectric (34); and applying a second metallization layer (34) to form the third capacitor film (50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Jeffrey Babcock, Scott Balster
  • Publication number: 20080248627
    Abstract: A method of forming an integrated deep and shallow trench isolation structure comprises depositing a hard mask on a film stack having a plurality of layers formed on a substrate such that the hard mask is deposited on a furthermost layer from the substrate, imprinting a first pattern into the hard mask to define an open end of a first trench, imprinting a second pattern into the hard mask to define an open end of a second trench, and etching into the film stack the first trench to a first depth and the second trench to a second depth such that the first trench and the second trench each define a blind aperture in the surface of the film stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS DEUTSCHLAND GNBH
    Inventors: Joerg Haussmann, Christoph Dirnecker, Rupert Wagner
  • Patent number: 7312119
    Abstract: The invention relates to a stacked capacitor (10) comprising a silicon base plate (16), a poly-silicon center plate (32) arranged above the base plate (16), a lower gate-oxide dielectric (26) arranged between the base plate (16) and the center plate (32), a cover plate (36) made of a metallic conductor and arranged above the center plate (32), and an upper dielectric (34) arranged between the center plate (32) and the cover plate (36). The cover plate (36) and the base plate (16) are electrically connected to each other and together form a first capacitor electrode. The center plate (32) forms a second capacitor electrode. The invention further relates to an integrated circuit with such a stacked capacitor, as well as to a method for fabrication of a stacked capacitor as part of a CMOS process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott Gerard Balster, Badih El-Kareh, Philipp Steinman, Christoph Dirnecker
  • Patent number: 7227241
    Abstract: An integrated stacked capacitor comprises a first capacitor film (46) of polycrystalline silicide (poly), a second capacitor film (48) and a first dielectric (26) sandwiched between the first capacitor film (46) and second capacitor film (48). A second dielectric (34) and a third capacitor film (50) are provided. The second dielectric (34) is sandwiched between the second capacitor film (48) and third capacitor film (50). A method for fabrication of an integrated stacked capacitor comprises the following sequence of steps: applying a polysilicide layer (20) to form the first capacitor film (46); applying a first dielectric (26); applying a first metallization layer (28) to form the second capacitor film (48); applying a second dielectric (34); and applying a second metallization layer (34) to form the third capacitor film (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Christoph Dirnecker, Jeffrey Babcock, Scott Balster