Patents by Inventor Brigitte Ruehle

Brigitte Ruehle 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: 10978418
    Abstract: A method of forming an electrical contact and a method of forming a chip package are provided. The methods may include arranging a metal contact structure including a non-noble metal and electrically contacting the chip, arranging a packaging material, and a protective layer including or essentially consisting of a portion formed at an interface between a portion of the metal contact structure and the packaging material, wherein the protective layer may include a noble metal, wherein the portion of the protective layer may include a plurality of regions free from the noble metal, and wherein the regions free from the noble metal may provide an interface between the packaging material and the non-noble metal of the metal contact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Joachim Mahler, Michael Bauer, Jochen Dangelmaier, Reimund Engl, Johann Gatterbauer, Frank Hille, Michael Huettinger, Werner Kanert, Heinrich Koerner, Brigitte Ruehle, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Antonio Vellei
  • Publication number: 20210082861
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a method of forming an electrical contact is provided. The method may include depositing, by atomic layer deposition, a passivation layer over at least a region of a metal surface, wherein the passivation layer may include aluminum oxide, and electrically contacting the region of the metal surface with a metal contact structure, wherein the metal contact structure may include copper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Joachim Mahler, Michael Bauer, Jochen Dangelmaier, Reimund Engl, Johann Gatterbauer, Frank Hille, Michael Huettinger, Werner Kanert, Heinrich Koerner, Brigitte Ruehle, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Antonio Vellei
  • Patent number: 10672678
    Abstract: In various embodiments, methods for forming a chip package are provided. The chip package may include a chip comprising a chip metal surface, a metal contact structure electrically contacting the chip metal surface, a packaging material at least partially encapsulating the chip and the metal contact structure, and a chemical compound physically contacting the packaging material and at least one of the chip metal surface and the metal contact structure, wherein the chemical compound may be configured to improve an adhesion between the metal contact structure and the packaging material and/or between the chip metal surface and the packaging material, as compared with an adhesion in an arrangement without the chemical compound, wherein the chemical compound is essentially free from functional groups comprising sulfur, selenium or tellurium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Heinrich Koerner, Michael Bauer, Reimund Engl, Michael Huettinger, Werner Kanert, Joachim Mahler, Brigitte Ruehle
  • Publication number: 20200013749
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip, a metal contact structure including a non-noble metal and electrically contacting the chip, a packaging material, and a protective layer including or essentially consisting of a portion formed at an interface between a portion of the metal contact structure and the packaging material, wherein the protective layer may include a noble metal, wherein the portion of the protective layer may include a plurality of regions free from the noble metal, and wherein the regions free from the noble metal may provide an interface between the packaging material and the non-noble metal of the metal contact structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Joachim Mahler, Michael Bauer, Jochen Dangelmaier, Reimund Engl, Johann Gatterbauer, Frank Hille, Michael Huettinger, Werner Kanert, Heinrich Koerner, Brigitte Ruehle, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Antonio Vellei
  • Patent number: 10497634
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip comprising a chip metal surface, a metal contact structure electrically contacting the chip metal surface, a packaging material at least partially encapsulating the chip and the metal contact structure, and a chemical compound physically contacting the packaging material and at least one of the chip metal surface and the metal contact structure, wherein the chemical compound may be configured to improve an adhesion between the metal contact structure and the packaging material and/or between the chip metal surface and the packaging material, as compared with an adhesion in an arrangement without the chemical compound, wherein the chemical compound is essentially free from functional groups comprising sulfur, selenium or tellurium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Heinrich Koerner, Michael Bauer, Reimund Engl, Michael Huettinger, Werner Kanert, Joachim Mahler, Brigitte Ruehle
  • Patent number: 10461056
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip, a metal contact structure including a non-noble metal and electrically contacting the chip, a packaging material, and a protective layer including or essentially consisting of a portion formed at an interface between a portion of the metal contact structure and the packaging material, wherein the protective layer may include a noble metal, wherein the portion of the protective layer may include a plurality of regions free from the noble metal, and wherein the regions free from the noble metal may provide an interface between the packaging material and the non-noble metal of the metal contact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Joachim Mahler, Michael Bauer, Jochen Dangelmaier, Reimund Engl, Johann Gatterbauer, Frank Hille, Michael Huettinger, Werner Kanert, Heinrich Koerner, Brigitte Ruehle, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Antonio Vellei
  • Publication number: 20190287875
    Abstract: In various embodiments, methods for forming a chip package are provided. The chip package may include a chip comprising a chip metal surface, a metal contact structure electrically contacting the chip metal surface, a packaging material at least partially encapsulating the chip and the metal contact structure, and a chemical compound physically contacting the packaging material and at least one of the chip metal surface and the metal contact structure, wherein the chemical compound may be configured to improve an adhesion between the metal contact structure and the packaging material and/or between the chip metal surface and the packaging material, as compared with an adhesion in an arrangement without the chemical compound, wherein the chemical compound is essentially free from functional groups comprising sulfur, selenium or tellurium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Heinrich Koerner, Michael Bauer, Reimund ENGL, Michael Huettinger, Werner Kanert, Joachim Mahler, Brigitte Ruehle
  • Patent number: 9941181
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip including a chip metal surface, a metal contact structure electrically contacting the chip metal surface, and packaging material including a contact layer being in physical contact with the chip metal surface and/or with the metal contact structure; wherein at least in the contact layer of the packaging material, a summed concentration of chemically reactive sulfur, chemically reactive selenium and chemically reactive tellurium is less than 10 atomic parts per million.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Heinrich Koerner, Michael Bauer, Reimund Engl, Michael Huettinger, Werner Kanert, Joachim Mahler, Brigitte Ruehle
  • Publication number: 20170338165
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip comprising a chip metal surface, a metal contact structure electrically contacting the chip metal surface, a packaging material at least partially encapsulating the chip and the metal contact structure, and a chemical compound physically contacting the packaging material and at least one of the chip metal surface and the metal contact structure, wherein the chemical compound may be configured to improve an adhesion between the metal contact structure and the packaging material and/or between the chip metal surface and the packaging material, as compared with an adhesion in an arrangement without the chemical compound, wherein the chemical compound is essentially free from functional groups comprising sulfur, selenium or tellurium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Heinrich KOERNER, Michael BAUER, Reimund ENGL, Michael HUETTINGER, Werner KANERT, Joachim MAHLER, Brigitte RUEHLE
  • Publication number: 20170338164
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip including a chip metal surface, a metal contact structure electrically contacting the chip metal surface, and packaging material including a contact layer being in physical contact with the chip metal surface and/or with the metal contact structure; wherein at least in the contact layer of the packaging material, a summed concentration of chemically reactive sulfur, chemically reactive selenium and chemically reactive tellurium is less than 10 atomic parts per million.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Heinrich Koerner, Michael Bauer, Reimund Engl, Michael Huettinger, Werner Kanert, Joachim Mahler, Brigitte Ruehle
  • Publication number: 20170338169
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip, a metal contact structure including a non-noble metal and electrically contacting the chip, a packaging material, and a protective layer including or essentially consisting of a portion formed at an interface between a portion of the metal contact structure and the packaging material, wherein the protective layer may include a noble metal, wherein the portion of the protective layer may include a plurality of regions free from the noble metal, and wherein the regions free from the noble metal may provide an interface between the packaging material and the non-noble metal of the metal contact structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Joachim Mahler, Michael Bauer, Jochen Dangelmaier, Reimund Engl, Johann Gatterbauer, Frank Hille, Michael Huettinger, Werner Kanert, Heinrich Koerner, Brigitte Ruehle, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Antonio Vellei