Patents by Inventor Donald R. Disney

Donald R. Disney 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: 20130146886
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a GaN substrate with a first surface and a second surface. The GaN substrate is characterized by a first conductivity type and a first dopant concentration. A first electrode is electrically coupled to the second surface of the GaN substrate. The semiconductor structure further includes a first GaN epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type coupled to the first surface of the GaN substrate and a second GaN layer of a second conductivity type coupled to the first GaN epitaxial layer. The first GaN epitaxial layer comprises a channel region. The second GaN epitaxial layer comprises a gate region and an edge termination structure. A second electrode coupled to the gate region and a third electrode coupled to the channel region are both disposed within the edge termination structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: EPOWERSOFT, INC.
    Inventors: Donald R. Disney, Hui Nie, Isik C. Kizilyalli, Richard J. Brown
  • Publication number: 20130126885
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an edge termination structure includes providing a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and a first conductivity type, forming a first GaN epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type coupled to the first surface of the substrate, and forming a second GaN epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type. The second GaN epitaxial layer is coupled to the first GaN epitaxial layer. The method also includes implanting ions into a first region of the second GaN epitaxial layer to electrically isolate a second region of the second GaN epitaxial layer from a third region of the second GaN epitaxial layer. The method further includes forming an active device coupled to the second region of the second GaN epitaxial layer and forming the edge termination structure coupled to the third region of the second GaN epitaxial layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: EPOWERSOFT, INC.
    Inventors: Donald R. Disney, Andrew P. Edwards, Hui Nie, Richard J. Brown, Isik C. Kizilyalli, David P. Bour, Linda Romano, Thomas R. Prunty
  • Publication number: 20130049076
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a power device with integrated power transistor and Schottky diode and a method for making the same. The power device comprises a power transistor having a drain region, a Schottky diode in the drain region of the power transistor, and a trench-barrier near the Schottky diode. The trench-barrier is provided to reduce a reverse leakage current of the Schottky diode and minimizes the possibility of introducing undesired parasitic bipolar junction transistor in the power device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Publication number: 20130043532
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a lateral high-voltage transistor and associated method for making the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventors: Donald R. Disney, Ognjen Milic
  • Publication number: 20130043534
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a lateral DMOS with recessed source contact and method for making the same. The lateral DMOS comprises a recessed source contact which has a portion recessed into a source region to reach a body region of the lateral DMOS. The lateral DMOS according to various embodiments of the present invention may have greatly reduced size and may be cost saving for fabrication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventors: Donald R. Disney, Lei Zhang, Tiesheng Li
  • Publication number: 20130032895
    Abstract: A high-voltage transistor device comprises a spiral resistive field plate over a first well region between a drain region and a source region of the high-voltage transistor device, wherein the spiral resistive field plate is separated from the first well region by a first isolation layer, and is coupled between the drain region and the source region. The high-voltage transistor device further comprises a plurality of first field plates over the spiral resistive field plate with each first field plate covering one or more segments of the spiral resistive field plate, wherein the plurality of first field plates are isolated from the spiral resistive field plate by a first dielectric layer, and wherein the plurality of first field plates are isolated from each other, and a starting first field plate is connected to the source region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Inventors: Donald R. Disney, Ognjen Milic, Kun Yi
  • Publication number: 20130020632
    Abstract: A lateral transistor includes a gate formed over a gate oxide and a field plate formed over a thick gate oxide. The field plate is electrically connected to a source. The field plate is configured to capacitively deplete a drift region when the lateral transistor is in the OFF state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Publication number: 20120320476
    Abstract: The present technology discloses a high-voltage device comprising a high-voltage transistor and an integrated over-voltage protection circuit. The over-voltage protection circuit monitors a voltage across the high-voltage transistor to detect an over-voltage condition of the high-voltage transistor, and turns the high-voltage transistor ON when the over-voltage condition is detected. Thus, once the high-voltage transistor is in over-voltage condition, the high-voltage transistor is turned ON and can dissipate the power from the over-voltage event through its channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Publication number: 20120314453
    Abstract: An example control element for use in a power supply includes a high-voltage transistor and a control circuit to control switching of the high-voltage transistor. The high-voltage transistor includes a drain region, source region, tap region, drift region, and tap drift region, all of a first conductivity type. The transistor also includes a body region of a second conductivity type. An insulated gate is included in the transistor such that when the insulated gate is biased a channel is formed across the body region to form a conduction path between the source region and the drift region. A voltage at the tap region with respect to the source region is substantially constant and less than a voltage at the drain region with respect to the source region in response to the voltage at the drain region exceeding a pinch off voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Publication number: 20120280308
    Abstract: The present technology is directed generally to a semiconductor device. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a first vertical transistor and a second vertical transistor, and the first vertical transistor is stacked on top of the second vertical transistor. The first vertical transistor is mounted on a lead frame with the source electrode of the first vertical transistor coupled to the lead frame. The second vertical transistor is stacked on the first vertical transistor with the source electrode of the second vertical transistor coupled to the drain electrode of the first vertical transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Publication number: 20120280311
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a trench-gate MOSFET device and the method for making the trench-gate MOSFET device. The trench-gate MOSFET device comprises a curving dopant profile formed between the body region and the epitaxial layer so that the portion of the body region under the source metal contact has a smaller vertical thickness than the other portion of the body region. The trench-gate MOSFET device in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure has improved UIS capability compared with the traditional trench-gate MOSFET device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lei Zhang, Donald R. Disney, Tiesheng Li, Rongyao Ma
  • Patent number: 8268697
    Abstract: A silicon-on-insulator device with a with buried depletion shield layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Patent number: 8264858
    Abstract: A technique for controlling a power supply with power supply control element with a tap element. An example power supply control element includes a power transistor that has first and second main terminals, a control terminal and a tap terminal. A control circuit is coupled to the control terminal. The tap terminal and the second main terminal of the power transistor are to control switching of the power transistor. The tap terminal is coupled to provide a signal to the control circuit substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second main terminals when the voltage is less than a pinch off voltage. The tap terminal is coupled to provide a substantially constant voltage that is less than the voltage between the first and second main terminals to the control circuit when the voltage between the first and second main terminals is greater than the pinch-off voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Publication number: 20120199911
    Abstract: The present technology discloses a vertical discrete device with gate and drain electrodes on the same surface and method for making the same. The vertical discrete device comprises a deep gate contact that couples the buried gate to a gate electrode which is formed on the same surface as the drain electrode. The discrete device according to the present technology can be used in co-packaging power management applications and the source electrode of the discrete device may be attached to the leadframe of the package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Patent number: 8236656
    Abstract: A high-voltage junction field-effect transistor (JFET) includes a semiconductor substrate, a well region, first, second, and third doped regions, and first, second, and third terminals. The first doped region is disposed in the well region and the second dope region is laterally displaced from the well region. The third doped region is disposed in the well region between the first and second doped regions. A portion of the well region is substantially depleted of free charge carriers when a first voltage between the first and second terminals is greater than or equal to a pinch-off voltage. A voltage output at the third terminal is substantially proportional to the first voltage when the first voltage is less than the pinch-off voltage, and the voltage output at the third terminal is substantially fixed and less than the first voltage when the first voltage is greater than or equal to the pinch-off voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Publication number: 20120146141
    Abstract: A technique for controlling a power supply with power supply control element with a tap element. An example power supply control element includes a power transistor that has first and second main terminals, a control terminal and a tap terminal. A control circuit is coupled to the control terminal. The tap terminal and the second main terminal of the power transistor are to control switching of the power transistor. The tap terminal is coupled to provide a signal to the control circuit substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second main terminals when the voltage is less than a pinch off voltage. The tap terminal is coupled to provide a substantially constant voltage that is less than the voltage between the first and second main terminals to the control circuit when the voltage between the first and second main terminals is greater than the pinch-off voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Publication number: 20120139012
    Abstract: A high-voltage junction field-effect transistor (JFET) includes a semiconductor substrate, a well region, first, second, and third doped regions, and first, second, and third terminals. The first doped region is disposed in the well region and the second dope region is laterally displaced from the well region. The third doped region is disposed in the well region between the first and second doped regions. A portion of the well region is substantially depleted of free charge carriers when a first voltage between the first and second terminals is greater than or equal to a pinch-off voltage. A voltage output at the third terminal is substantially proportional to the first voltage when the first voltage is less than the pinch-off voltage, and the voltage output at the third terminal is substantially fixed and less than the first voltage when the first voltage is greater than or equal to the pinch-off voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Publication number: 20120126340
    Abstract: An MOS transistor includes a doping profile that selectively increases the dopant concentration of the body region. The doping profile has a shallow portion that increases the dopant concentration of the body region just under the surface of the transistor under the gate, and a deep portion that increases the dopant concentration of the body region under the source and drain regions. The doping profile may be formed by implanting dopants through the gate, source region, and drain region. The dopants may be implanted in a high energy ion implant step through openings of a mask that is also used to perform another implant step. The dopants may also be implanted through openings of a dedicated mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventor: Donald R. DISNEY
  • Patent number: 8144484
    Abstract: A technique for controlling a power supply with power supply control element with a tap element. An example power supply control element includes a power transistor that has first and second main terminals, a control terminal and a tap terminal. A control circuit is coupled to the control terminal. The tap terminal and the second main terminal of the power transistor are to control switching of the power transistor. The tap terminal is coupled to provide a signal to the control circuit substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second main terminals when the voltage is less than a pinch off voltage. The tap terminal is coupled to provide a substantially constant voltage that is less than the voltage between the first and second main terminals to the control circuit when the voltage between the first and second main terminals is greater than the pinch-off voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney
  • Patent number: 8120097
    Abstract: A control circuit with a high voltage sense device. In one embodiment, a circuit includes a first transistor disposed in a first substrate having first, second and third terminals. A first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to an external voltage. A voltage provided at a third terminal of the first transistor is substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor is less than a pinch-off voltage of the first transistor. The voltage provided at the third terminal of the first transistor is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor is greater than the pinch-off voltage of the first transistor. The circuit also includes a control circuit disposed in the first substrate and coupled to the third terminal of the first transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald R. Disney