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).

  • Publication number: 20080197405
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure comprises a plurality of columns doped with alternating dopants. The columns are separated by trenches, and the dopant is diffused in the doped columns. The trenches are filled with semiconductor material. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Frank Pfirsch, Walter Rieger
  • Publication number: 20080179666
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a trench gate and method for manufacturing is disclosed. One embodiment includes a first semiconductor area and a second semiconductor area, a semiconductor body area between the first semiconductor area and the second semiconductor area, and a gate arranged in a trench and separated from the semiconductor body by an insulation layer, wherein the trench has a top trench portion which extends from the semiconductor surface at least to a depth which is greater than a depth of the first semiconductor area, wherein the trench further has a bottom trench portion extending subsequent to the top trench portion at least up to the second semiconductor area, and wherein the top trench portion has a first lateral dimension and the bottom trench portion has a second lateral dimension which is greater than the first lateral dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Christian Foerster, Georg Ehrentraut, Frank Pfirsch, Thomas Raker
  • Publication number: 20080135871
    Abstract: A semiconductor component is disclosed. One embodiment provides a semiconductor body having a cell region with at least one zone of a first conduction type and at least one zone of a second conduction type in a rear side. A drift zone of the first conduction type in the cell region is provided. The drift zone contains at least one region through which charge carriers flow in an operating mode of the semiconductor component in one polarity and charge carriers do not flow in an operating mode of the semiconductor component in an opposite polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Holger Ruething, Frank Pfirsch, Armin Willmeroth, Frank Hille, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20080122001
    Abstract: An integrated circuit and method for making an integrated circuit including doping a semiconductor body is disclosed. One embodiment provides defect-correlated donors and/or acceptors. The defects required for this are produced by electron irradiation of the semiconductor body. Form defect-correlated donors and/or acceptors with elements or element compounds are introduced into the semiconductor body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Frank Pfirsch, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide
  • Publication number: 20080087952
    Abstract: A semiconductor component is disclosed. One embodiment provides a semiconductor component including a semiconductor body having a cell array region with trenches and an edge region with pn junction. A transition region with at least one trench is formed between the cell array region and the edge region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventor: Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20080054369
    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: August 31, 2006
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Pfirsch, Stephan Voss, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide
  • Publication number: 20080001257
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor material, the semiconductor material including a base region and a field stop zone including a first side adjacent the base region and a second side opposite the first side. The field stop zone includes a first dopant implant and a second dopant implant. The first dopant implant has a first dopant concentration maximum and the second dopant implant has a second dopant concentration maximum with the first dopant concentration maximum being less than the second dopant concentration maximum, and being located closer to the second side than the second dopant concentration maximum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide, Helmut Strack, Carsten Schaeffer, Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20070190714
    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: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20070181943
    Abstract: A power transistor includes a semiconductor layer an electrode layer. The semiconductor layer having a source zone, a drain zone spaced apart from the source zone in a lateral direction, a drift zone adjacent to the drain zone, and a body zone. The body zone is interposed between the drift zone and the source zone. The electrode layer is dielectrically insulated from the semiconductor layer, and includes a gate electrode divided into at least two sections and a field plate. The field plate is arranged at a first height level relative to the semiconductor layer. A first gate electrode section is arranged at least partially at a second height level, which is lower than the first height level relative to the semiconductor layer. A second gate electrode section, which is laterally displaced from the first gate electrode section, is disposed at a first intermediate level arranged between the first and second height levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20070170514
    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: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Pfirsch, Elmar Falck, Josef Lutz
  • Publication number: 20070138544
    Abstract: A field plate trench transistor having a semiconductor body is disclosed. 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: August 31, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Walter Rieger, Thorsten Meyer, Wolfgang Klein, Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20070108513
    Abstract: The fabrication of a semiconductor component having a semiconductor body in which is arranged a very thin dielectric layer having sections which run in the vertical direction and which extend very deeply into the semiconductor body is disclosed. In one method a trench is formed in a drift zone region proceeding from the front side of a semiconductor body, a sacrificial layer is produced on at least a portion of the sidewalls of the trench and at least a portion of the trench is filled with a semiconductor material which is chosen such that the quotient of the net dopant charge of the semiconductor material in the trench and the total area of the sacrificial layer on the sidewalls of the trench between the semiconductor material and the drift zone region is less than the breakdown charge of the semiconductor material, and the sacrificial layer is replaced with a dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Michael Rub, Herbert Schafer, Armin Willmeroth, Anton Mauder, Stefan Sedlmaier, Roland Rupp, Manfred Pippan, Hans Weber, Frank Pfirsch, Franz Hirler, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20070108512
    Abstract: The invention relates to a power semiconductor component (1) with charge compensation structure (3) and a method for the fabrication thereof. For this purpose, the power semiconductor component (1) has a semiconductor body (4) having a drift path (5) between two electrodes (6, 7). The drift path (5) has drift zones of a first conduction type, which provide a current path between the electrodes (6, 7) in the drift path, while charge compensation zones (11) of a complementary conduction type constrict the current path of the drift path (5). For this purpose, the drift path (5) has two alternately arranged, epitaxially grown diffusion zone types (9, 10), the first drift zone type (9) having monocrystalline semiconductor material on a monocrystalline substrate (12), and a second drift zone type (10) having monocrystalline semiconductor material in a trench structure (13), with complementarily doped walls (14, 15), the complementarily doped walls (14, 15) forming the charge compensation zones (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Stefan Sedlmaier, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Anton Mauder, Helmut Strack, Armin Willmeroth, Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20070052058
    Abstract: A semiconductor component having a drift path (2) which is formed in a semiconductor body (1), is composed of a semiconductor material of first conductance type. The drift path (2) is arranged between at least one first and one second electrode (3, 4) and has a trench structure in the form of at least one trench (18). A dielectric material which is referred to as a high-k material and has a relative dielectric constant ?r where ?r?20 is arranged in the trench structure such that at least one high-k material region (5) and one semiconductor material region (6) of the first conductance type are arranged in the area of the drift path (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Frank Pfirsch
  • Patent number: 7173306
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for fabricating a drift zone of a vertical semiconductor component and to a vertical semiconductor component having the following features: a semiconductor body (100) having a first side (101) and a second side (102), a drift zone (30) of a first conduction type which is arranged in the region between the first and the second sides (101, 102) and is formed for the purpose of taking up a reverse voltage, a field electrode arrangement arranged in the drift zone (30) and having at least one electrically conducted field electrode (40; 40A–40E; 90A–90J) arranged in a manner insulated from the semiconductor body (100), an electrical potential of the at least one field electrode (40; 40A–40E; 90A–90J) varying in the vertical direction of the semiconductor body (100) at least when a reverse voltage is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Ralf Henninger, Frank Pfirsch, Markus Zundel, Jenoe Tihanyi
  • Publication number: 20070023830
    Abstract: A semiconductor component having a semiconductor body is disclosed. In one embodiment, the semiconductor component includes a drift zone of a first conductivity type, a drift control zone composed of a semiconductor material which is arranged adjacent to the drift zone at least in places, a dielectric which is arranged between the drift zone and the drift control zone at least in places. A quotient of the net dopant charge of the drift control zone, in an area adjacent to the accumulation dielectric and the drift zone, divided by the area of the dielectric arranged between the drift control zone and the drift zone is less than the breakdown charge of the semiconductor material in the drift control zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2006
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Inventors: Frank Pfirsch, Armin Willmeroth, Anton Mauder, Stefan Sedlmaier
  • Publication number: 20060273346
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to an edge structure for a semiconductor component having two electrodes arranged opposite one another on opposite sides of a semiconductor body having a doped zone of the first charge carrier type. The semiconductor body has at least one doped zone of the second charge carrier type extending from a surface into the depth of the semiconductor body and serving for forming a pn junction located in a central region surrounded by an edge region between the two electrodes. The edge region has at least one rectilinear edge section and at least one curved edge section and is formed in such a way that a breakdown voltage in the at least one rectilinear edge section is less than a breakdown voltage in the at least one curved edge section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventor: Frank Pfirsch
  • Patent number: 7145201
    Abstract: A semiconductor component (10) is proposed in which a control resistance element (NTC) is provided in electrical contact between a control region (G) for setting operating properties and a first input/output region (S), the control resistance element (NTC) having an operating temperature range in which the nonreactive resistance falls monotonically as the operating temperature increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20060118864
    Abstract: A power trench transistor comprises a semiconductor body in which a cell array and an edge region surrounding the cell array are formed. First edge trenches are formed within the edge region. The first edge trenches contain field electrodes and the longitudinal orientations of the first edge trenches run from the cell array towards the edge of the trench transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Wolfgang Werner, Markus Zundel, Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20060081964
    Abstract: A semiconductor device (1, 20-80) has an emitter terminal (2), a collector terminal (3) and also a semiconductor body (4) provided between emitter terminal (2) and collector terminal (3). An emitter zone (5, 70) is formed in the semiconductor body (4), said emitter zone at least partially adjoining the emitter terminal (2) and also having a first interface (16) facing the emitter terminal (2) and a second interface (17) facing the collector terminal. The semiconductor device has at least one MOS structure (8, 81) which pervades the emitter zone or adjoins the latter, and which is configured such that corresponding MOS channels (11, 14) induced by the MOS structure (8, 81) within the emitter zone (5, 70) are at a distance from the first interface (16) of the emitter zone (5, 70).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Frank Pfirsch