Patents by Inventor Frank Pfirsch

Frank Pfirsch 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).

  • Trench transistor and method for fabricating a trench transistor with high-energy-implanted drain
    Patent number: 8039894
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for fabricating a trench transistor, in which there are formed, within an epitaxial layer deposited above a substrate of a first conductivity type, a trench and, within the trench, a gate dielectric and a gate electrode and, in a body region of a second conductivity type adjoining the trench a source region of the first conductivity type, a drift region of the first conductivity type forming a drain zone being formed at the end of the junction between the substrate and the epitaxial layer by means of one or more high-energy implantations, the lower end of the trench projecting into said drift region, and to a trench transistor of this type formed as a low-voltage transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Frank Pfirsch
  • CONTROLLING THE RECOMBINATION RATE IN A BIPOLAR SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENT
    Publication number: 20110215858
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling the recombination rate in the base region of a bipolar semiconductor component, and a bipolar semiconductor component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Franz Hirler, Frank Pfirsch, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH A FIELD STOP ZONE AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING THE SAME
    Publication number: 20110207310
    Abstract: Embodiments discussed herein relate to processes of producing a field stop zone within a semiconductor substrate by implanting dopant atoms into the substrate to form a field stop zone between a channel region and a surface of the substrate, at least some of the dopant atoms having energy levels of at least 0.15 eV below the energy level of the conduction band edge of semiconductor substrate; and laser annealing the field stop zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Pfirsch, Stephan Voss, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide
  • Semiconductor device with a field stop zone and process of producing the same
    Patent number: 7989888
    Abstract: Embodiments discussed herein relate to processes of producing a field stop zone within a semiconductor substrate by implanting dopant atoms into the substrate to form a field stop zone between a channel region and a surface of the substrate, at least some of the dopant atoms having energy levels of at least 0.15 eV below the energy level of the conduction band edge of semiconductor substrate; and laser annealing the field stop zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Autria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Pfirsch, Stephan Voss, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide
  • Short circuit limiting in power semiconductor devices
    Patent number: 7986005
    Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body. The semiconductor body includes a body region of a first conductivity type for forming therein a conductive channel of a second conductivity type; a gate electrode arranged next to the body region; and a floating electrode arranged between the gate electrode and the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag
    Inventors: Oliver Schilling, Frank Pfirsch
  • Semiconductor device with a charge carrier compensation structure and process
    Patent number: 7973359
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a charge carrier compensation structure. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device has a central cell field with a gate and source structure. At least one bond contact area is electrically coupled to the gate structure or the source structure. A capacitance-increasing field plate is electrically coupled to at least one of the near-surface bond contact areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Armin Willmeroth, Anton Mauder, Gerald Deboy, Holger Kapels, Carolin Tolksdorf, Frank Pfirsch
  • Semiconductor Component with an Emitter Control Electrode
    Publication number: 20110156095
    Abstract: A semiconductor component includes a first emitter zone of a first conductivity type, a second emitter zone of a second conductivity type, a first base zone arranged between the first and second emitter zones and a first control structure. The first control structure includes a control electrode arranged adjacent the first emitter zone, the control electrode being insulated from the first emitter zone by a first dielectric layer and extending in a current flow direction of the semiconductor component. The first control structure includes a first control connection and at least one first connection zone arranged between the first control connection and the control electrode and comprising a semiconductor material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Frank Pfirsch, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Method for producing a semiconductor including a foreign material layer
    Patent number: 7947569
    Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor including a material layer. In one embodiment a trench is produced having two opposite sidewalls and a bottom, in a semiconductor body. A foreign material layer is produced on a first one of the two sidewalls of the trench. The trench is filled by epitaxially depositing a semiconductor material onto the second one of the two sidewalls and the bottom of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Frank Pfirsch, Rudolf Berger, Stefan Sedlmaier, Wolfgang Lehnert, Raimund Foerg
  • Semiconductor component with a drift zone and a drift control zone
    Patent number: 7943987
    Abstract: A semiconductor component has a drift zone and a drift control zone, a drift control zone dielectric, which is arranged in sections between the drift zone and the drift control zone, and has a first and a second connection zone, which are doped complementarily with respect to one another and which form a pn junction between the drift control zone and a section of the drift zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Armin Willmeroth, Anton Mauder, Franz Hirler, Stefan Sedlmaier, Frank Pfirsch
  • FIELD PLATE TRENCH TRANSISTOR AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING IT
    Publication number: 20110095362
    Abstract: A field plate trench transistor having a semiconductor body. In one embodiment the semiconductor has a trench structure and an electrode structure embedded in the trench structure. The electrode structure being electrically insulated from the semiconductor body by an insulation structure and having a gate electrode structure and a field electrode structure. The field plate trench transistor has a voltage divider configured such that the field electrode structure is set to a potential lying between source and drain potentials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Walter Rieger, Thorsten Meyer, Wolfgang Klein, Frank Pfirsch
  • Reduced free-charge carrier lifetime device
    Patent number: 7932583
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device comprises a body of a first conductivity type having a source region and a channel, the body being in contact with a top contact layer. The device also comprises a gate arranged adjacent the channel and a drift zone of a second conductivity type arranged between the body and a bottom contact layer. An integrated diode is formed partially by a first zone of the first conductivity type within the body and being in contact with the top contact layer and a second zone of the second conductivity type being in contact with the bottom contact layer. A reduced charge carrier concentration region is formed in the drift zone having a continuously increasing charge carrier lifetime in the vertical direction so that the charge carrier lifetime is lowest near the body and highest near the bottom contact layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Holger Ruething, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Hille, Frank Pfirsch
  • Semiconductor Component
    Publication number: 20110049593
    Abstract: A semiconductor component comprising a semiconductor body, a channel zone in the semiconductor body, a channel control electrode adjacent to the channel zone, and a dielectric layer between the channel zone and the channel control electrode, wherein the dielectric layer has a relative dielectric constant ?r with a negative temperature coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Pfirsch
  • Field plate trench transistor and method for producing it
    Patent number: 7893486
    Abstract: A field plate trench transistor having a semiconductor body. In one embodiment the semiconductor has a trench structure and an electrode structure embedded in the trench structure. The electrode structure being electrically insulated from the semiconductor body by an insulation structure and having a gate electrode structure and a field electrode structure. The field plate trench transistor has a voltage divider configured such that the field electrode structure is set to a potential lying between source and drain potentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Walter Rieger, Thorsten Meyer, Wolfgang Klein, Frank Pfirsch
  • BIPOLAR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD
    Publication number: 20110024791
    Abstract: A bipolar semiconductor device and method are provided. One embodiment provides a bipolar semiconductor device including a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type having a first doping concentration, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type forming a pn-junction with the first semiconductor region, and a plurality of third semiconductor regions of the first conductivity type at least partially arranged in the first semiconductor region and having a doping concentration which is higher than the first doping concentration. Each of the third semiconductor regions is provided with at least one respective junction termination structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Pfirsch, Franz-Josef Niedemostheide
  • Semiconductor device including a free wheeling diode
    Patent number: 7880200
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and production method is disclosed. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a first electrode and a second electrode, located on surfaces of a semiconductor body, and an insulated gate electrode. The semiconductor body has a contact groove for the first electrode in an intermediate oxide layer. Highly doped zones of a first conduction type are located in edge regions of the source connection zone. Below the highly doped zones of the first conduction type, there are highly doped zones of a body zone with a complementary conduction type. In a central region of the source connection zone, the body zone has a net charge carrier concentration with a complementary conduction type which is lower than the charge carrier concentration in the edge regions of the source connection zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Frank Hille, Carsten Schaeffer, Frank Pfirsch, Holger Ruething
  • SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING A FLOATING SEMICONDUCTOR ZONE
    Publication number: 20110018029
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first trench and a second trench extending into a semiconductor body from a surface. A body region of a first conductivity type adjoins a first sidewall of the first trench and a first sidewall of the second trench, the body region including a channel portion adjoining to a source structure and being configured to be controlled in its conductivity by a gate structure. The channel portion is formed at the first sidewall of the second trench and is not formed at the first sidewall of the first trench. An electrically floating semiconductor zone of the first conductivity type adjoins the first trench and has a bottom side located deeper within the semiconductor body than the bottom side of the body region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Frank Pfirsch, Maria Cotorogea, Franz Hirler, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide, Thomas Raker, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Hans Peter Felsl
  • Semiconductor component and method
    Patent number: 7791138
    Abstract: A semiconductor component and method of making a semiconductor component. One embodiment provides a first metallization structure electrically coupled to charge compensation zones via an ohmic contact and to drift zones via a Schottky contact. A second metallization structure, which is arranged opposite the first metallization structure, is electrically coupled to the charge compensation zones via a Schottky contact and to drift zones via an ohmic contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Frank Pfirsch
  • BIPOLAR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD
    Publication number: 20100127304
    Abstract: A bipolar semiconductor device and manufacturing method. One embodiment provides a diode structure including a structured emitter coupled to a first metallization is provided. The structured emitter includes a first weakly doped semiconductor region of a first conductivity type which forms a pn-load junction with a weakly doped second semiconductor region of the diode structure. The structured emitter includes at least a highly doped first semiconductor island of the first conductivity type which at least partially surrounds a highly doped second semiconductor island of the second conductivity type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Pfirsch
  • Vertical IGBT Device
    Publication number: 20100117117
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a power semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate. A transistor gate structure is arranged in a trench formed in the semiconductor substrate. A body region of a first conductivity type is arranged adjacent the transistor gate structure and a first highly-doped region of a second conductivity type is arranged in an upper portion of the body region. A drift zone of the second conductivity type is arranged below the body region and a second highly-doped region of the second conductivity type is arranged below the drift zone. An end-of-range irradiation region is arranged adjacent the transistor gate structure and has a plurality of vacancies. In some embodiments, at least some of the vacancies are occupied by metals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Holger Ruething, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Hille, Frank Pfirsch
  • IGBT device and related device having robustness under extreme conditions
    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