Patents by Inventor Elmar Falck

Elmar Falck 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: 9324783
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a semiconductor body with a first side and a second side that is arranged distant from the first side in a first vertical direction. The semiconductor device has a rectifying junction, a field stop zone of a first conduction type, and a drift zone of a first conduction type arranged between the rectifying junction and the field stop zone. The semiconductor body has a net doping concentration along a line parallel to the first vertical direction. At least one of (a) and (b) applies: (a) the drift zone has, at a first depth, a charge centroid, wherein a distance between the rectifying junction and the charge centroid is less than 37% of the thickness the drift zone has in the first vertical direction; (b) the absolute value of the net doping concentration comprises, along the straight line and inside the drift zone, a local maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Elmar Falck, Gerhard Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20160093690
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a semiconductor body with a first side and a second side that is arranged distant from the first side in a first vertical direction. The semiconductor device has a rectifying junction, a field stop zone of a first conduction type, and a drift zone of a first conduction type arranged between the rectifying junction and the field stop zone. The semiconductor body has a net doping concentration along a line parallel to the first vertical direction. At least one of (a) and (b) applies: (a) the drift zone has, at a first depth, a charge centroid, wherein a distance between the rectifying junction and the charge centroid is less than 37% of the thickness the drift zone has in the first vertical direction; (b) the absolute value of the net doping concentration comprises, along the straight line and inside the drift zone, a local maximum value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Elmar Falck, Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9293524
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a semiconductor body with bottom and top sides and a lateral surface. An active semiconductor region is formed in the semiconductor body and an edge region surrounds the active semiconductor region. A first semiconductor zone of a first conduction type is formed in the edge region. An edge termination structure having at least N field limiting structures is formed in the edge region. Each of the field limiting structures has a field ring and a separation trench formed in the semiconductor body, where N is at least 1. Each of the field rings has a second conduction type, forms a pn-junction with the first semiconductor zone and surrounds the active semiconductor region. For each of the field limiting structures, the separation trench of that field limiting structure is arranged between the field ring of that field limiting structure and the active semiconductor region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Elmar Falck, Wolfgang Roesener, Hans Peter Felsl, Andre Stegner
  • Patent number: 9281360
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a semiconductor body including opposing bottom and top sides, a surface surrounding the semiconductor body, an active semiconductor region formed in the semiconductor body, an edge region surrounding the active semiconductor region, a first semiconductor zone of a first conduction type formed in the edge region, an edge termination structure formed in the edge region at the top side, and a shielding structure arranged on that side of the edge termination structure facing away from the bottom side. The shielding structure has a number of N1?2 first segments and a number of N2?1 second segments. Each of the first segments is electrically connected to each of the other first segments and to each of the second segments, and each of the second segments has an electric resistivity higher than an electric resistivity of each of the first segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Karin Buchholz, Matteo Dainese, Elmar Falck, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Gerhard Schmidt, Frank Umbach
  • Publication number: 20160049463
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a semiconductor body including opposing bottom and top sides, a surface surrounding the semiconductor body, an active semiconductor region formed in the semiconductor body, an edge region surrounding the active semiconductor region, a first semiconductor zone of a first conduction type formed in the edge region, an edge termination structure formed in the edge region at the top side, and a shielding structure arranged on that side of the edge termination structure facing away from the bottom side. The shielding structure has a number of N1?2 first segments and a number of N2?1 second segments. Each of the first segments is electrically connected to each of the other first segments and to each of the second segments, and each of the second segments has an electric resistivity higher than an electric resistivity of each of the first segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Karin Buchholz, Matteo Dainese, Elmar Falck, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Gerhard Schmidt, Frank Umbach
  • Publication number: 20150318347
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a semiconductor body with bottom and top sides and a lateral surface. An active semiconductor region is formed in the semiconductor body and an edge region surrounds the active semiconductor region. A first semiconductor zone of a first conduction type is formed in the edge region. An edge termination structure having at least N field limiting structures is formed in the edge region. Each of the field limiting structures has a field ring and a separation trench formed in the semiconductor body, where N is at least 1. Each of the field rings has a second conduction type, forms a pn-junction with the first semiconductor zone and surrounds the active semiconductor region. For each of the field limiting structures, the separation trench of that field limiting structure is arranged between the field ring of that field limiting structure and the active semiconductor region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Elmar Falck, Wolfgang Roesner, Hans Peter Felsl, Andre Stegner
  • Publication number: 20150279930
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a first surface at a first side, a second surface opposite to the first surface and an edge surface connecting the first and second surfaces. An edge termination structure includes a glass structure and extends along the edge surface, at least from a plane coplanar with the first surface towards the second surface. A conductive structure extends parallel to the first surface and overlaps the glass structure at the first side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Alexander Breymesser, Andre Brockmeier, Elmar Falck, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Holger Schulze
  • Publication number: 20150214347
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having opposite first and second sides. The semiconductor device further includes a drift zone in the semiconductor body between the second side and a pn junction. A profile of net doping of the drift zone along at least 50% of a vertical extension of the drift zone between the first and second sides is undulated and includes doping peak values between 1×1013 cm?3 and 5×1014 cm?3. A device blocking voltage Vbr is defined by a breakdown voltage of the pn junction between the drift zone and a semiconductor region of opposite conductivity type that is electrically coupled to the first side of the semiconductor body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Elmar Falck, Andreas Haertl, Manfred Pfaffenlehner, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Daniel Schloegl, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Andre Stegner, Johannes Georg Laven
  • Publication number: 20150206983
    Abstract: A semiconductor diode includes a semiconductor body having opposite first and second sides. A first and a second semiconductor region are consecutively arranged along a lateral direction at the second side. The first and second semiconductor regions are of opposite first and second conductivity types and are electrically coupled to an electrode at the second side. The semiconductor diode further includes a third semiconductor region of the second conductivity type buried in the semiconductor body at a distance from the second side. The second and third semiconductor regions are separated from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventors: Hans Peter Felsl, Elmar Falck, Manfred Pfaffenlehner, Frank Hille, Andreas Haertl, Holger Schulze, Daniel Schloegl
  • Patent number: 7880260
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region with a vertical drift path of a first conduction type and with a near-surface lateral well of a second, complementary conduction type. In addition, the semiconductor device has an edge region surrounding the active region. This edge region has a variable lateral doping material zone of the second conduction type, which adjoins the well. A transition region in which the concentration of doping material gradually decreases from the concentration of the well to the concentration at the start of the variable lateral doping material zone is located between the lateral well and the variable lateral doping material zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technology Austria AG
    Inventors: Elmar Falck, Josef Bauer, Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7781842
    Abstract: A semiconductor device which has a semiconductor body and a method for producing it. At the semiconductor body, a first electrode which is electrically connected to a first near-surface zone of the semiconductor body and a second electrode which is electrically connected to a second zone of the semiconductor body are arranged. A drift section is arranged between the first and the second electrode. In the drift section, a coupling structure is provided for at least one field plate arranged in the drift section. The coupling structure has a floating first area doped complementarily to the drift section and a second area arranged in the first area. The second area forms a locally limited punch-through effect or an ohmic contact to the drift section, and the field plate is electrically connected at least to the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Elmar Falck, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 7750428
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a field ring in an edge pattern of a semiconductor body with a central cell area and with field plate discharge pattern. The edge pattern exhibits at least one horizontal field plate which is arranged with one end over the field ring and with its other end on insulating layers towards the edge of the semiconductor body. A first ring-shaped area of a type of conduction doped complementary to a drift section material exhibits a field ring effect. A second highly doped ring-shaped area which contacts the one end of the horizontal field plate and forms a pn junction with the first ring-shaped area and which is arranged within the first area exhibits a locally limited punch-through effect or a resistive contact to the drift section material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Elmar Falck, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 7705369
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-voltage diode having a specifically optimized switch-off behavior. A soft recovery behavior of the component can be obtained without increasing the forward losses by adjusting in a specific manner the service life of the charge carriers by irradiating only the n+-conducting cathode emitter (6) side or both sides, i.e. the n+-conducting cathode emitter (6) side and the p+-conducting anode emitter (4) side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Veli Kartal, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Anton Mauder, Elmar Falck
  • Patent number: 7696600
    Abstract: A semiconductor device in the form of an IGBT has a front side contact, a rear side contact, and a semiconductor volume disposed between the front side contact and the rear side contact. The semiconductor volume includes a field stop layer for spatially delimiting an electric field that can be formed in the semiconductor volume. The semiconductor volume further includes a plurality of semiconductor zones, the plurality of semiconductor zones spaced apart from each other and each inversely doped with respect to adjacent areas. The plurality of semiconductor zones are located within the field stop layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Pfirsch, Elmar Falck, Josef Lutz
  • Patent number: 7635909
    Abstract: A semiconductor diode has an anode, a cathode and a semiconductor volume provided between anode and cathode. A plurality of semiconductor zones are formed in the semiconductor volume, which semiconductor zones are inversely doped with respect to their immediate surroundings, spaced apart from one another and provided in the vicinity of the cathode. The semiconductor zones are spaced apart from the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Pfirsch, Elmar Falck, Josef Lutz
  • Publication number: 20090261379
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region with a vertical drift path of a first conduction type and with a near-surface lateral well of a second, complementary conduction type. In addition, the semiconductor device has an edge region surrounding the active region. This edge region has a variable lateral doping material zone of the second conduction type, which adjoins the well. A transition region in which the concentration of doping material gradually decreases from the concentration of the well to the concentration at the start of the variable lateral doping material zone is located between the lateral well and the variable lateral doping material zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Elmar FALCK, Josef Bauer, Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7511353
    Abstract: A semiconductor diode (30) has an anode (32), a cathode (33) and a semiconductor volume (31) provided between the anode (32) and the cathode (33). An electron mobility and/or hole mobility within a zone (34) of the semiconductor volume (31) that is situated in front of the cathode (33) is reduced relative to the rest of the semiconductor volume (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Frank Hille, Vytla Rajeev Krishna, Elmar Falck, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide, Helmut Strack
  • Publication number: 20080265277
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a field ring in an edge pattern of a semiconductor body with a central cell area and with field plate discharge pattern. The edge pattern exhibits at least one horizontal field plate which is arranged with one end over the field ring and with its other end on insulating layers towards the edge of the semiconductor body. A first ring-shaped area of a type of conduction doped complementary to a drift section material exhibits a field ring effect. A second highly doped ring-shaped area which contacts the one end of the horizontal field plate and forms a pn junction with the first ring-shaped area and which is arranged within the first area exhibits a locally limited punch-through effect or a resistive contact to the drift section material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Elmar Falck, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20080265329
    Abstract: A semiconductor device which has a semiconductor body and a method for producing it. At the semiconductor body, a first electrode which is electrically connected to a first near-surface zone of the semiconductor body and a second electrode which is electrically connected to a second zone of the semiconductor body are arranged. A drift section is arranged between the first and the second electrode. In the drift section, a coupling structure is provided for at least one field plate arranged in the drift section. The coupling structure has a floating first area doped complementarily to the drift section and a second area arranged in the first area. The second area forms a locally limited punch-through effect or an ohmic contact to the drift section, and the field plate is electrically connected at least to the second area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Elmar Falck, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 7291899
    Abstract: A semiconductor component suitable for use as a power semiconductor component and method of making a semiconductor component is disclosed. In one embodiment, the semiconductor component includes a semiconductor body having a first surface, a second surface, a third surface, a first conduction type region and a second conduction type region adjoining the first conduction type region at the third surface. A trench extending from the first surface into the semiconductor body, the trench defined by a trench bottom and an arcuately shaped sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Elmar Falck, Anton Mauder