Patents by Inventor Edwin Piner
Edwin Piner 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).
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Publication number: 20080116456Abstract: Gallium nitride material-based semiconductor structures are provided. In some embodiments, the structures include a composite substrate over which a gallium nitride material region is formed. The gallium nitride material structures may include additional features, such as strain-absorbing layers and/or transition layers, which also promote favorable stress conditions. The reduction in stresses may reduce defect formation and cracking in the gallium nitride material region, as well as reducing warpage of the overall structure. The gallium nitride material-based semiconductor structures may be used in a variety of applications such as transistors (e.g. FETs) Schottky diodes, light emitting diodes, laser diodes, SAW devices, and sensors, amongst others devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2008Publication date: May 22, 2008Applicant: Nitronex CorporationInventors: Edwin Piner, Pradeep Rajagopal, John Roberts, Kevin Linthicum
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Publication number: 20070120147Abstract: Gallium nitride material transistors and methods associated with the same are provided. The transistors may be used in power applications by amplifying an input signal to produce an output signal having increased power. The transistors may be designed to transmit the majority of the output signal within a specific transmission channel (defined in terms of frequency), while minimizing transmission in adjacent channels. This ability gives the transistors excellent linearity which results in high signal quality and limits errors in transmitted data. The transistors may be designed to achieve low ACPR values (a measure of excellent linearity), while still operating at high drain efficiencies and/or high output powers. Such properties enable the transistors to be used in RF power applications including third generation (3G) power applications based on W-CDMA modulation.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2006Publication date: May 31, 2007Applicant: Nitronex CorporationInventors: Walter Nagy, Ricardo Borges, Jeffrey Brown, Apurva Chaudhari, James Cook, Allen Hanson, Jerry Johnson, Kevin Linthicum, Edwin Piner, Pradeep Rajagopal, John Roberts, Sameer Singhal, Robert Therrien, Andrei Vescan
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Publication number: 20060249748Abstract: Gallium nitride material-based semiconductor structures are provided. In some embodiments, the structures include a composite substrate over which a gallium nitride material region is formed. The gallium nitride material structures may include additional features, such as strain-absorbing layers and/or transition layers, which also promote favorable stress conditions. The reduction in stresses may reduce defect formation and cracking in the gallium nitride material region, as well as reducing warpage of the overall structure. The gallium nitride material-based semiconductor structures may be used in a variety of applications such as transistors (e.g. FETs) Schottky diodes, light emitting diodes, laser diodes, SAW devices, and sensors, amongst others devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2005Publication date: November 9, 2006Applicant: Nitronex CorporationInventors: Edwin Piner, Pradeep Rajagopal, John Roberts, Kevin Linthicum
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Publication number: 20060118819Abstract: III-nitride material structures including silicon substrates, as well as methods associated with the same, are described. Parasitic losses in the structures may be significantly reduced which is reflected in performance improvements. Devices (such as RF devices) formed of structures of the invention may have higher output power, power gain and efficiency, amongst other advantages.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2004Publication date: June 8, 2006Applicant: Nitronex CorporationInventors: Allen Hanson, John Roberts, Edwin Piner, Pradeep Rajagopal
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Publication number: 20060006500Abstract: Semiconductor structures including one, or more, III-nitride material regions (e.g., gallium nitride material region) and methods associated with such structures are provided. The III-nitride material region(s) advantageously have a low dislocation density and, in particular, a low screw dislocation density. In some embodiments, the presence of screw dislocations in the III-nitride material region(s) may be essentially eliminated. The presence of a strain-absorbing layer underlying the III-nitride material region(s) and/or processing conditions can contribute to achieving the low screw dislocation densities. In some embodiments, the III-nitride material region(s) having low dislocation densities include a gallium nitride material region which functions as the active region of the device. The low screw dislocation densities of the active device region (e.g., gallium nitride material region) can lead to improved properties (e.g.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2004Publication date: January 12, 2006Applicant: Nitronex CorporationInventors: Edwin Piner, John Roberts, Pradeep Rajagopal
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Publication number: 20050285155Abstract: Semiconductor device-based chemical sensors and methods associated with the same are provided. The sensors include regions that can interact with chemical species being detected. The chemical species may, for example, be a component of a fluid (e.g., gas or liquid). The interaction between the chemical species and a region of the sensor causes a change in a measurable property (e.g., an electrical property) of the device. These changes may be related to the concentration of the chemical species in the medium being characterized.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2004Publication date: December 29, 2005Applicant: Nitronex CorporationInventors: Jerry Johnson, Edwin Piner, Kevin Linthicum
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Publication number: 20050285142Abstract: Semiconductor materials including a gallium nitride material region and methods associated with such structures are provided. The semiconductor structures include a strain-absorbing layer formed within the structure. The strain-absorbing layer may be formed between the substrate (e.g., a silicon substrate) and an overlying layer. It may be preferable for the strain-absorbing layer to be very thin, have an amorphous structure and be formed of a silicon nitride-based material. The strain-absorbing layer may reduce the number of misfit dislocations formed in the overlying layer (e.g., a nitride-based material layer) which limits formation of other types of defects in other overlying layers (e.g., gallium nitride material region), amongst other advantages. Thus, the presence of the strain-absorbing layer may improve the quality of the gallium nitride material region which can lead to improved device performance.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2005Publication date: December 29, 2005Applicant: Nitronex CorporationInventors: Edwin Piner, John Roberts, Pradeep Rajagopal
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Publication number: 20050285141Abstract: Semiconductor materials including a gallium nitride material region and methods associated with such structures are provided. The semiconductor structures include a strain-absorbing layer formed within the structure. The strain-absorbing layer may be formed between the substrate (e.g., a silicon substrate) and an overlying layer. It may be preferable for the strain-absorbing layer to be very thin, have an amorphous structure and be formed of a silicon nitride-based material. The strain-absorbing layer may reduce the number of misfit dislocations formed in the overlying layer (e.g., a nitride-based material layer) which limits formation of other types of defects in other overlying layers (e.g., gallium nitride material region), amongst other advantages. Thus, the presence of the strain-absorbing layer may improve the quality of the gallium nitride material region which can lead to improved device performance.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2004Publication date: December 29, 2005Inventors: Edwin Piner, John Roberts, Pradeep Rajagopal
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Publication number: 20050167775Abstract: Gallium nitride material transistors and methods associated with the same are provided. The transistors may be used in power applications by amplifying an input signal to produce an output signal having increased power. The transistors may be designed to transmit the majority of the output signal within a specific transmission channel (defined in terms of frequency), while minimizing transmission in adjacent channels. This ability gives the transistors excellent linearity which results in high signal quality and limits errors in transmitted data. The transistors may be designed to achieve low ACPR values (a measure of excellent linearity), while still operating at high drain efficiencies and/or high output powers. Such properties enable the transistors to be used in RF power applications including third generation (3G) power applications based on W-CDMA modulation.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2004Publication date: August 4, 2005Applicant: Nitronex CorporationInventors: Walter Nagy, Ricardo Borges, Jeffrey Brown, Apurva Chaudhari, James Cook, Allen Hanson, Jerry Johnson, Kevin Linthicum, Edwin Piner, Pradeep Rajagopal, John Roberts, Sameer Singhal, Robert Therrien, Andrei Vescan
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Publication number: 20050145851Abstract: Gallium nitride material structures, including devices, and methods associated with the same are provided. In some embodiments, the structures include one or more isolation regions which electrically isolate adjacent devices. One aspect of the invention is the discovery that the isolation regions also can significantly reduce the leakage current of devices (e.g., transistors) made from the structures, particularly devices that also include a passivating layer formed on a surface of the gallium nitride material. Lower leakage currents can result in increased power densities and operating voltages, amongst other advantages.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2004Publication date: July 7, 2005Applicant: Nitronex CorporationInventors: Jerry Johnson, Ricardo Borges, Jeffrey Brown, James Cook, Allen Hanson, Edwin Piner, Pradeep Rajagopal, John Roberts, Sameer Singhal, Robert Therrien, Andrei Vescan