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).

  • Patent number: 8482062
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first trench and a second trench extending into a semiconductor body from a surface. A body region of a first conductivity type adjoins a first sidewall of the first trench and a first sidewall of the second trench, the body region including a channel portion adjoining to a source structure and being configured to be controlled in its conductivity by a gate structure. The channel portion is formed at the first sidewall of the second trench and is not formed at the first sidewall of the first trench. An electrically floating semiconductor zone of the first conductivity type adjoins the first trench and has a bottom side located deeper within the semiconductor body than the bottom side of the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Frank Pfirsch, Maria Cotorogea, Franz Hirler, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide, Thomas Raker, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Hans Peter Felsl
  • Patent number: 8461648
    Abstract: A semiconductor component with a drift region and a drift control region. One embodiment includes a semiconductor body having a drift region of a first conduction type in the semiconductor body. A drift control region composed of a semiconductor material, which is arranged, at least in sections, is adjacent to the drift region in the semiconductor body. An accumulation dielectric is arranged between the drift region and the drift control region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Frank Pfirsch, Anton Mauder, Armin Willmeroth, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Stefan Sedlmaier, Markus Zundel, Franz Hirler, Arunjai Mittal
  • Publication number: 20130140616
    Abstract: In one embodiment of an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit includes a power transistor with a power control terminal, a first power load terminal and a second power load terminal. The integrated circuit further includes an auxiliary transistor with an auxiliary control terminal, a first auxiliary load terminal and a second auxiliary load terminal. The first auxiliary load terminal is electrically coupled to the power control terminal. The integrated circuit further includes a capacitor with a first capacitor electrode, a second capacitor electrode and a capacitor dielectric layer. The capacitor dielectric layer includes at least one of a ferroelectric material and a paraelectric material. The first capacitor electrode is electrically coupled to the auxiliary control terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Anton Mauder, Frank Pfirsch
  • Patent number: 8435853
    Abstract: A method for forming a field effect power semiconductor is provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor body, a conductive region arranged next to a main surface of the semiconductor body, and an insulating layer arranged on the main horizontal surface. A narrow trench is etched through the insulating layer to expose the conductive region. A polycrystalline semiconductor layer is deposited and a vertical poly-diode structure is formed. The polycrystalline semiconductor layer has a minimum vertical thickness of at least half of the maximum horizontal extension of the narrow trench. A polycrystalline region which forms at least a part of a vertical poly-diode structure is formed in the narrow trench by maskless back-etching of the polycrystalline semiconductor layer. Further, a semiconductor device with a trench poly-diode is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Frank Pfirsch, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 8384151
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a base region and a first electrode arranged on a main horizontal surface of the semiconductor body. The semiconductor body further includes an IGBT-cell with a body region forming a first pn-junction with the base region, and a diode-cell with an anode region forming a second pn-junction with the base region. A source region in ohmic contact with the first electrode and an anti-latch-up region in ohmic contact with the first electrode are, in a vertical cross-section, only formed in the IGBT-cell. The anti-latch-up region has higher maximum doping concentration than the body region. Further a reverse conducting IGBT is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20130001640
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first trench and a second trench extending into a semiconductor body from a surface. A body region of a first conductivity type adjoins a first sidewall of the first trench and a first sidewall of the second trench, the body region including a channel portion adjoining to a source structure and being configured to be controlled in its conductivity by a gate structure. The channel portion is formed at the first sidewall of the second trench and is not formed at the first sidewall of the first trench. An electrically floating semiconductor zone of the first conductivity type adjoins the first trench and has a bottom side located deeper within the semiconductor body than the bottom side of the body region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Frank Pfirsch, Maria Cotorogea, Franz Hirler, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide, Thomas Raker, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Hans Peter Felsl
  • Patent number: 8344415
    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: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Holger Ruething, Frank Pfirsch, Armin Willmeroth, Frank Hille, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 8343862
    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: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Pfirsch, Stephan Voss, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide
  • Patent number: 8334564
    Abstract: A field plate trench transistor having a semiconductor body. 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: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Walter Rieger, Thorsten Meyer, Wolfgang Klein, Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20120313225
    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: August 1, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Frank Pfirsch, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide
  • Patent number: 8264033
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first trench and a second trench extending into a semiconductor body from a surface. A body region of a first conductivity type adjoins a first sidewall of the first trench and a first sidewall of the second trench, the body region including a channel portion adjoining to a source structure and being configured to be controlled in its conductivity by a gate structure. The channel portion is formed at the first sidewall of the second trench and is not formed at the first sidewall of the first trench. An electrically floating semiconductor zone of the first conductivity type adjoins the first trench and has a bottom side located deeper within the semiconductor body than the bottom side of the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Frank Pfirsch, Maria Cotorogea, Franz Hirler, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide, Thomas Raker, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Hans Peter Felsl
  • Patent number: 8263450
    Abstract: A semiconductor component with charge compensation structure has a semiconductor body having a drift path between two electrodes. The drift path has drift zones of a first conduction type, which provide a current path between the electrodes in the drift path, while charge compensation zones of a complementary conduction type constrict the current path of the drift path. For this purpose, the drift path has two alternately arranged, epitaxially grown diffusion zone types, the first drift zone type having monocrystalline semiconductor material on a monocrystalline substrate, and a second drift zone type having monocrystalline semiconductor material in a trench structure, with complementarily doped walls, the complementarily doped walls forming the charge compensation zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Stefan Sedlmaier, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Anton Mauder, Helmut Strack, Armin Willmeroth, Frank Pfirsch
  • Patent number: 8264040
    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: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Frank Pfirsch
  • Patent number: 8247874
    Abstract: A depletion transistor includes a source region and a drain region of a first conductivity type, a channel region of the first conductivity type arranged between the source region and the drain region and a first gate electrode arranged adjacent the channel region and dielectrically insulated from the channel region by a gate dielectric. The depletion transistor further includes a first discharge region of a second conductivity type arranged adjacent the gate dielectric and electrically coupled to a terminal for a reference potential. The depletion transistor can be included in a charging circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Joachim Weyers, Frank Pfirsch
  • Patent number: 8236676
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Frank Pfirsch, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide
  • Publication number: 20120181575
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a base region and a first electrode arranged on a main horizontal surface of the semiconductor body. The semiconductor body further includes an IGBT-cell with a body region forming a first pn-junction with the base region, and a diode-cell with an anode region forming a second pn-junction with the base region. A source region in ohmic contact with the first electrode and an anti-latch-up region in ohmic contact with the first electrode are, in a vertical cross-section, only formed in the IGBT-cell. The anti-latch-up region has higher maximum doping concentration than the body region. Further a reverse conducting IGBT is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventor: Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20120049270
    Abstract: A method for forming a field effect power semiconductor is provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor body, a conductive region arranged next to a main surface of the semiconductor body, and an insulating layer arranged on the main horizontal surface. A narrow trench is etched through the insulating layer to expose the conductive region. A polycrystalline semiconductor layer is deposited and a vertical poly-diode structure is formed. The polycrystalline semiconductor layer has a minimum vertical thickness of at least half of the maximum horizontal extension of the narrow trench. A polycrystalline region which forms at least a part of a vertical poly-diode structure is formed in the narrow trench by maskless back-etching of the polycrystalline semiconductor layer. Further, a semiconductor device with a trench poly-diode is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Frank Pfirsch, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20120049273
    Abstract: A depletion transistor includes a source region and a drain region of a first conductivity type, a channel region of the first conductivity type arranged between the source region and the drain region and a first gate electrode arranged adjacent the channel region and dielectrically insulated from the channel region by a gate dielectric. The depletion transistor further includes a first discharge region of a second conductivity type arranged adjacent the gate dielectric and electrically coupled to a terminal for a reference potential. The depletion transistor can be included in a charging circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Joachim Weyers, Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20120049898
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement includes a transistor component with a gate terminal, a control terminal, and a load path between a source and a drain terminal. A drive circuit is connected to the control terminal and configured to determine a load condition of the transistor component, to provide a drive potential to the control terminal, and to adjust the drive potential dependent on the load condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Franz Hirler, Frank Pfirsch
  • Publication number: 20110309423
    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: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Christian Foerster, Georg Ehrentraut, Frank Pfirsch, Thomas Raker