Patents by Inventor Gilberto Curatola

Gilberto Curatola 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: 20240079233
    Abstract: A member is provided which includes a silicon base substrate layer, a transition layer arranged over the silicon base substrate layer, and a gallium nitride (GaN) buffer layer arranged over the transition layer. The member further includes a gallium oxide layer. The member is beneficial for co-integration of ultra-wide-bandgap technology with wide bandgap technology, such as by using the gallium oxide layer with the gallium nitride buffer layer on cheap silicon substrates, such as the silicon base substrate layer. Therefore, the member provides access to establish the gallium nitride buffer layer (or gallium nitride) on the silicon base substrate layer (or silicon production lines) with improved thermal conductivity and higher electrical performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Marco Silvestri
  • Publication number: 20230420537
    Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a channel layer, a source, a drain, a gate structure, and a gate metal layer; and the gate structure includes a P-type gallium nitride layer and an N-type gallium nitride layer that are disposed in a stacking manner, so that a gate metal/pGaN Schottky diode is replaced with an nGaN/pGaN reverse bias diode, to improve a gate voltage-withstand capability of the field effect transistor, thereby improving a breakdown capability of the field effect transistor. A doping density of the P-type gallium nitride layer is between 1×1018 cm?3 and 1×1019 cm?3, so that a charge storage effect during operation of a device can be reduced, carriers at the pGaN layer can be exhausted as much as possible, and redundant-charge storage is avoided, thereby improving operating threshold voltage stability of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Qilong BAO, Qimeng JIANG, Gaofei TANG, Hanxing WANG, Gilberto CURATOLA
  • Publication number: 20230411486
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a Gallium Nitride power transistor, comprising: a buffer layer; and a barrier layer having a top side, a bottom side, the bottom side facing the buffer layer, the bottom side of the barrier layer is placed on the buffer layer; an interlayer interposed between a p-type doped Gallium Nitride layer and a metal gate layer, the interlayer is made of a III-V compound semiconductor comprising a combination of at least one group III element with at least one group V element, the p-type doped Gallium Nitride layer is placed on the top side of the barrier layer, the metal gate layer is electrically connected to the p-type doped Gallium Nitride layer via the interlayer to form a rectifying metal-semiconductor junction with the p-type doped Gallium Nitride layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Qilong Bao, Qimeng Jiang, Gaofei Tang, Hanxing Wang
  • Publication number: 20230352542
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a Gallium Nitride (GaN) power transistor. The GaN power transistor includes a source pad, a drain pad, a first and a second gate pad, a plurality of unit cells where each unit cell includes a source region, a drain region and a gate region. The power transitory further includes a source metallization layer contacting the source regions of the plurality of unit cells with the source pad, a drain metallization layer contacting the drain regions of the plurality of unit cells with the drain pad, a first gate metallization layer contacting the gate region of a first portion of the unit cells with the first gate pad, and a second gate metallization layer contacting the gate region of a second portion of the unit cells with the second gate pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventor: Gilberto CURATOLA
  • Publication number: 20230335597
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a Gallium Nitride (GaN) power transistor, comprising: a buffer layer; a barrier layer deposited on the buffer layer, wherein a gate region is formed on top of the barrier layer; a p-type doped GaN layer deposited on the barrier layer at the gate region; and a metal gate layer deposited on top of the p-type doped GaN layer, wherein the metal gate layer is contacting the p-type doped GaN layer to form a Schottky barrier, wherein a thickness of the p-type doped GaN layer, a metal type of the metal gate layer and a p-type doping concentration of the p-type doped GaN layer are based on a known relationship of a pGaN Schottky gate depletion region thickness with respect to a p-type doping concentration and a gate metal type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventor: Gilberto Curatola
  • Patent number: 11721754
    Abstract: An enhancement mode Group III nitride-based transistor device includes a body having a first surface and a Group III nitride barrier layer arranged on a Group III nitride channel layer and forming a heterojunction therebetween. A first cell field includes transistor cells and an edge region. Each transistor cell includes source, gate and drain fingers extending substantially parallel to one another on the first surface in a longitudinal direction. The gate finger, arranged laterally between the source and drain fingers, includes a p-doped Group III nitride finger arranged between a metallic gate finger and the first surface. The edge region surrounds the transistor cells and includes an edge termination structure having an isolation ring and a p-doped Group III nitride runner. The isolation ring locally interrupts the heterojunction. The runner, extending transversely to the longitudinal direction, is located laterally between the isolation ring and an end of the drain finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Prechtl, Gilberto Curatola, Oliver Haeberlen
  • Publication number: 20220344501
    Abstract: An enhancement mode Group III nitride-based transistor device includes a body having a first surface and a Group III nitride barrier layer arranged on a Group III nitride channel layer and forming a heterojunction therebetween. A first cell field includes transistor cells and an edge region. Each transistor cell includes source, gate and drain fingers extending substantially parallel to one another on the first surface in a longitudinal direction. The gate finger, arranged laterally between the source and drain fingers, includes a p-doped Group III nitride finger arranged between a metallic gate finger and the first surface. The edge region surrounds the transistor cells and includes an edge termination structure having an isolation ring and a p-doped Group III nitride runner. The isolation ring locally interrupts the heterojunction. The runner, extending transversely to the longitudinal direction, is located laterally between the isolation ring and an end of the drain finger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Gerhard Prechtl, Gilberto Curatola, Oliver Haeberlen
  • Patent number: 11417758
    Abstract: An enhancement mode Group III nitride-based transistor device includes a body having a first surface and a Group III nitride barrier layer arranged on a Group III nitride channel layer and forming a heterojunction therebetween. A first cell field includes transistor cells and an edge region. Each transistor cell includes source, gate and drain fingers extending substantially parallel to one another on the first surface in a longitudinal direction. The gate finger, arranged laterally between the source and drain fingers, includes a p-doped Group III nitride finger arranged between a metallic gate finger and the first surface. The edge region surrounds the transistor cells and includes an edge termination structure having an isolation ring and a p-doped Group III nitride runner. The isolation ring locally interrupts the heterojunction. The runner, extending transversely to the longitudinal direction, is located laterally between the isolation ring and an end of the drain finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Prechtl, Gilberto Curatola, Oliver Haeberlen
  • Publication number: 20220173235
    Abstract: A method includes forming a silicon substrate including first and second substrate layers, the first substrate layer extending to the rear surface, the second substrate layer extending to a first side of the silicon substrate that is opposite from the rear surface such that the first substrate layer is completely separated from the first side by the second substrate layer, forming a nucleation region on the first side of the silicon substrate, the nucleation region including a nitride layer, forming a lattice transition layer on the nucleation region, the lattice transition layer being configured to alleviate stress arising in the silicon substrate due to lattice mismatch between the silicon substrate and other layers in the compound semiconductor device structure, and epitaxially growing a type III-V semiconductor nitride region on the lattice transition layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Martin Huber, Ingo Daumiller
  • Patent number: 11289593
    Abstract: A compound semiconductor device structure having a main surface and a rear surface includes a silicon substrate including first and second substrate layers. The first substrate layer extends to the rear surface. The second substrate layer extends to a first side of the substrate that is opposite from the rear surface such that the first substrate layer is completely separated from the first side by the second substrate layer. A nucleation region is formed on the first side of the silicon substrate and includes a nitride layer. A lattice transition layer is formed on the nucleation region and includes a type III-V semiconductor nitride. The lattice transition layer is configured to alleviate stress arising in the silicon substrate due to lattice mismatch between the silicon substrate and other layers in the compound semiconductor device structure. The second substrate layer is configured to suppress an inversion layer in the silicon substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Martin Huber, Ingo Daumiller
  • Publication number: 20210050439
    Abstract: An enhancement mode Group III nitride-based transistor device includes a body having a first surface and a Group III nitride barrier layer arranged on a Group III nitride channel layer and forming a heterojunction therebetween. A first cell field includes transistor cells and an edge region. Each transistor cell includes source, gate and drain fingers extending substantially parallel to one another on the first surface in a longitudinal direction. The gate finger, arranged laterally between the source and drain fingers, includes a p-doped Group III nitride finger arranged between a metallic gate finger and the first surface. The edge region surrounds the transistor cells and includes an edge termination structure having an isolation ring and a p-doped Group III nitride runner. The isolation ring locally interrupts the heterojunction. The runner, extending transversely to the longitudinal direction, is located laterally between the isolation ring and an end of the drain finger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Gerhard Prechtl, Gilberto Curatola, Oliver Haeberlen
  • Patent number: 10840353
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a heterojunction semiconductor body including a first and second type III-V semiconductor layers with different bandgaps such that a first two-dimensional charge carrier gas forms at an interface between the two layers. The second type III-V semiconductor layer includes a thicker section and a thinner section. A first input-output electrode is on the thicker section and is in ohmic contact with the first two-dimensional charge carrier gas. A second input-output electrode is formed on the thinner section and is in ohmic contact with the first two-dimensional charge carrier gas. A gate structure is formed on the thinner section and is configured to control a conductive connection between the first and second input-output electrodes. The gate structure is laterally spaced apart from a transition between the thicker and thinner sections of the second type III-V semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Oliver Haeberlen
  • Patent number: 10636899
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a type III-V semiconductor body having a main surface and a rear surface opposite the main surface. A barrier region is disposed beneath the main surface. A buffer region is disposed beneath the barrier region. A first two-dimensional charge carrier gas region forms near an interface between the barrier region and the buffer region. A second two-dimensional charge carrier gas region forms near an interface between the buffer region and the first back-barrier region. A third two-dimensional charge carrier gas region forms near an interface between the first back-barrier region and the second back-barrier region. Both of the second and third two-dimensional charge carrier gas regions have an opposite carrier type as the first two-dimensional charge carrier gas region. The third two-dimensional charge carrier gas region is more densely populated with charge carriers than the second two-dimensional charge carrier gas region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Gilberto Curatola
  • Publication number: 20200119162
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a heterojunction semiconductor body including a first and second type III-V semiconductor layers with different bandgaps such that a first two-dimensional charge carrier gas forms at an interface between the two layers. The second type III-V semiconductor layer includes a thicker section and a thinner section. A first input-output electrode is on the thicker section and is in ohmic contact with the first two-dimensional charge carrier gas. A second input-output electrode is formed on the thinner section and is in ohmic contact with the first two-dimensional charge carrier gas. A gate structure is formed on the thinner section and is configured to control a conductive connection between the first and second input-output electrodes. The gate structure is laterally spaced apart from a transition between the thicker and thinner sections of the second type III-V semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Oliver Haeberlen
  • Patent number: 10541313
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes providing a heterojunction semiconductor body. The heterojunction semiconductor body includes a first type III-V semiconductor layer and a second type III-V semiconductor layer formed over the first type III-V semiconductor layer. The second type III-V semiconductor layer has a different bandgap as the first type III-V semiconductor layer such that a first two-dimensional charge carrier gas forms at an interface between the first and second type III-V semiconductor layers. The second type III-V semiconductor layer has a thicker section and a thinner section. A first input-output electrode is formed on the thicker section. A gate structure and a second input-output are formed on the thinner section. The gate structure is laterally spaced apart from a transition between the thicker and thinner sections of the second type III-V semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Oliver Haeberlen
  • Patent number: 10516023
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes providing a heterojunction semiconductor body. The heterojunction semiconductor body includes a type III-V semiconductor back-barrier region, a type III-V semiconductor channel layer formed on the back-barrier region, and a type III-V semiconductor barrier layer formed on the back-barrier region. A first two-dimensional charge carrier gas is at an interface between the channel and barrier layers. A second two-dimensional charge carrier gas is disposed below the first two-dimensional charge carrier gas. A deep contact structure in the heterojunction semiconductor body that extends through the channel layer and forms an interface with the second two-dimensional charge carrier gas is formed. The first semiconductor region includes a first contact material that provides a conductive path for majority carriers of the second two-dimensional charge carrier gas at the interface with the second two-dimensional charge carrier gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Oliver Haeberlen
  • Publication number: 20190280093
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes providing a heterojunction semiconductor body. The heterojunction semiconductor body includes a type III-V semiconductor back-barrier region, a type III-V semiconductor channel layer formed on the back-barrier region, and a type III-V semiconductor barrier layer formed on the back-barrier region. A first two-dimensional charge carrier gas is at an interface between the channel and barrier layers. A second two-dimensional charge carrier gas is disposed below the first two-dimensional charge carrier gas. A deep contact structure in the heterojunction semiconductor body that extends through the channel layer and forms an interface with the second two-dimensional charge carrier gas is formed. The first semiconductor region includes a first contact material that provides a conductive path for majority carriers of the second two-dimensional charge carrier gas at the interface with the second two-dimensional charge carrier gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Oliver Haeberlen
  • Publication number: 20190280100
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes providing a heterojunction semiconductor body. The heterojunction semiconductor body includes a first type III-V semiconductor layer and a second type III-V semiconductor layer formed over the first type III-V semiconductor layer. The second type III-V semiconductor layer has a different bandgap as the first type III-V semiconductor layer such that a first two-dimensional charge carrier gas forms at an interface between the first and second type III-V semiconductor layers. The second type III-V semiconductor layer has a thicker section and a thinner section. A first input-output electrode is formed on the thicker section. A gate structure and a second input-output are formed on the thinner section. The gate structure is laterally spaced apart from a transition between the thicker and thinner sections of the second type III-V semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Oliver Haeberlen
  • Patent number: 10332876
    Abstract: A first semiconductor body including type IV semiconductor material is provided. A second semiconductor body including type III-V semiconductor material is provided. A first adhesion layer is formed on the first semiconductor body. A second adhesion layer is formed on the second semiconductor body. The first and the second semiconductor bodies are bonded together by adhering the first and the second adhesion layers to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Daniel Kueck, Gilberto Curatola, Romain Esteve
  • Patent number: 10276669
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a base layer, a dielectric layer over the base layer, an opening extending through the dielectric layer and to a main surface of the base layer, the opening having a sloped sidewall, and an electrically conductive material over the sloped sidewall. An angle between the sloped sidewall and the main surface of the base layer is in a range between 5 degrees and 50 degrees. Corresponding methods of manufacturing the semiconductor device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Jens Ulrich Heinle, Gerhard Prechtl, Gilberto Curatola