Patents by Inventor Franz Hirler

Franz Hirler 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: 11515414
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an electrical device and has an output capacitance characteristic with at least one output capacitance maximum located at a voltage larger than 5% of a breakdown voltage of the semiconductor device. The output capacitance maximum is larger than 1.2 times an output capacitance at an output capacitance minimum located at a voltage between the voltage at the output capacitance maximum and 5% of a breakdown voltage of the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Franz Hirler
  • Publication number: 20220376062
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a transistor cell region, and a first termination region devoid of transistor cells. The transistor cell region includes a gate structure, a plurality of needle-shaped first field plate structures, body regions of a second conductivity type, and source regions of a first conductivity type. The first termination region surrounds the transistor cell region and includes needle-shaped second field plate structures. The needle-shaped first field plate structures are arranged in a first pattern and the needle-shaped second field plate structures are arranged in a second pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Michael Hutzler, David Laforet, Cédric Ouvrard, Li Juin Yip
  • Patent number: 11508841
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a first surface and second surface opposite to the first surface in a vertical direction, and a plurality of transistor cells at least partly integrated in the semiconductor body. Each transistor cell includes at least two source regions, first and second gate electrodes spaced apart from each other in a first horizontal direction and arranged adjacent to and dielectrically insulated from a continuous body region, a drift region separated from the at least two source regions by the body region, and at least three contact plugs extending from the body region towards a source electrode in the vertical direction. The at least three contact plugs are arranged successively between the first and second gate electrodes. Only the two outermost contact plugs that are arranged closest to the first and second gate electrodes, respectively, directly adjoin at least one of the source regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Christian Fachmann, Winfried Kaindl, Hans Weber
  • Patent number: 11462620
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a transistor cell region formed in the semiconductor substrate and an inner termination region formed in the semiconductor substrate and devoid of transistor cells. The transistor cell region includes a gate structure extending from a first surface into the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of needle-shaped first field plate structures extending from the first surface into the semiconductor substrate, body regions of a second conductivity type, and source regions of a first conductivity type formed between the body regions and the first surface. The inner termination region surrounds the transistor cell region and includes needle-shaped second field plate structures extending from the first surface into the semiconductor substrate. The needle-shaped first field plate structures are arranged in a first pattern and the needle-shaped second field plate structures are arranged in a second pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Michael Hutzler, David Laforet, Cédric Ouvrard, Li Juin Yip
  • Patent number: 11424358
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body comprising a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, an active region, and an edge region surrounding the active region in a horizontal plane. The semiconductor device further includes a plurality of transistor cells at least partly integrated in the active region. Each transistor cell includes a drift region separated from a source region by a body region, and a gate electrode dielectrically insulated from the body region. The semiconductor device also includes a sensor device having a first sensor region of a first doping type integrated in the edge region. The first sensor region is electrically coupled to a first contact pad and to a second contact pad. Each contact pad is arranged either on the first surface or on the second surface. The sensor device at least partially extends around the active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Andreas Boehm, Franz Hirler, Enrique Vecino Vazquez
  • Publication number: 20220262946
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a power device, having a channel region, a gate region formed aside the channel region, for controlling a channel formation, a drift region formed vertically below the channel region, a field electrode formed in a field electrode trench extending vertically into the drift region, wherein the field electrode comprises a first and a second field electrode structure, the first field electrode structure capacitively coupling to a first section of the drift region and the second field electrode structure capacitively coupling to a second section of the drift region, arranged vertically above the first section, the first and the second field electrode structure formed with a vertical overlap and adapted to balance a capacitive coupling between the first and the second field electrode structure and between the field electrode and the drift region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Oliver Blank, Adrian Finney, Alessandro Ferrara, Franz Hirler, Stefan Tegen
  • Publication number: 20220231671
    Abstract: Electronic circuits are disclosed. One electronic circuit includes: a transistor device having a load path and a drive input; a first drive circuit configured to receive a supply voltage and generate a drive signal for the transistor device based on the supply voltage; and a biasing circuit connected in parallel with the load path of the transistor device. The biasing circuit includes a bias voltage circuit configured to receive the supply voltage and generate a bias voltage higher than the supply voltage based on the supply voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Hans Weber, Franz Hirler, Matteo-Alessandro Kutschak, Andreas Riegler
  • Patent number: 11342187
    Abstract: Forming a semiconductor arrangement includes providing a first semiconductor layer having a first surface, forming a first plurality of trenches in the first surface of the first semiconductor layer, each of the trenches in the first plurality having first and second sidewalls that extend from the first surface to a bottom of the respective trench, implanting first type dopant atoms into the first and second sidewalls of each of the trenches in the first plurality, implanting second type dopant atoms into the first and second sidewalls of each of the trenches in the first plurality, and annealing the semiconductor arrangement to simultaneously activate the first type dopant atoms and the second type dopant atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Hans Weber, Franz Hirler, Johannes Georg Laven, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Werner Schustereder, Maximilian Treiber, Daniel Tutuc, Andreas Voerckel
  • Patent number: 11323099
    Abstract: Electronic circuits are disclosed. One electronic circuit includes: a transistor device having a load path and a drive input; a first drive circuit configured to receive a supply voltage and generate a drive signal for the transistor device based on the supply voltage; and a biasing circuit connected in parallel with the load path of the transistor device. The biasing circuit includes a bias voltage circuit configured to receive the supply voltage and generate a bias voltage higher than the supply voltage based on the supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans Weber, Franz Hirler, Matteo-Alessandro Kutschak, Andreas Riegler
  • Patent number: 11302781
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A transistor structure is formed is the semiconductor body. A trench structure extends from the first surface into the semiconductor body. An electrostatic discharge protection structure is accommodated in the trench structure. The electrostatic discharge protection structure includes a first terminal region and a second terminal region. A source contact structure at the first surface is electrically connected to source regions of the transistor structure and to the first terminal region. A gate contact structure at the first surface is electrically connected to a gate electrode of the transistor structure and to the second terminal region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Stefan Gamerith, Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder
  • Publication number: 20220102549
    Abstract: A silicon carbide device includes a transistor cell with a source region and a gate electrode. The source region is formed in a silicon carbide body and has a first conductivity type. A first low-resistive ohmic path electrically connects the source region and a doped region of a second conductivity type. The doped region and a floating well of the first conductivity type form a pn junction. A first clamp region having the second conductivity type extends into the floating well. A second low-resistive ohmic path electrically connects the first clamp region and the gate electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Franz Hirler, Wolfgang Jantscher, David Kammerlander, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Patent number: 11289597
    Abstract: A transistor device is enclosed. The transistor device includes: a semiconductor body; a plurality of drift regions of a first doping type; a plurality of compensation regions of a second doping type adjoining the drift regions; and a plurality of transistor cells each including a body region adjoining a respective one of the plurality of drift regions, a source region adjoining the body region, and a gate electrode adjacent the body region and dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric. The source regions of the plurality of transistor cells are connected to a source node, the body regions of the plurality of transistor cells are separated from the plurality of compensation regions in the semiconductor body, and the plurality of compensation regions are ohmically connected to the source node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans Weber, Björn Fischer, Franz Hirler, Matteo-Alessandro Kutschak, Andreas Riegler
  • Publication number: 20220077845
    Abstract: Electronic circuits are disclosed. One electronic circuit includes: a transistor device having a load path and a drive input; a first drive circuit configured to receive a supply voltage and generate a drive signal for the transistor device based on the supply voltage; and a biasing circuit connected in parallel with the load path of the transistor device. The biasing circuit includes a bias voltage circuit configured to receive the supply voltage and generate a bias voltage higher than the supply voltage based on the supply voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Hans Weber, Franz Hirler, Matteo-Alessandro Kutschak, Andreas Riegler
  • Publication number: 20220077309
    Abstract: A method includes forming a trench in a first surface in an edge region of a semiconductor body, forming a plurality of superjunction transistor cells in an inner region of a semiconductor body, and forming an insulation layer on the first surface of the semiconductor body in the edge region and in the inner region, wherein forming the insulation layer includes a thermal oxidation process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Hans Weber, Christian Fachmann, Franz Hirler, Winfried Kaindl, Markus Rochel
  • Patent number: 11245002
    Abstract: A transistor arrangement includes: a layer stack with first and second semiconductor layers of complementary first and second doping types; a first source region of a first transistor device adjoining the first semiconductor layers; a first drain region of the first transistor device adjoining the second semiconductor layers and spaced apart from the first source region; gate regions of the first transistor device, each gate region adjoining at least one second semiconductor layer, being arranged between the first source region and the first drain region, and being spaced apart from the first source region and the first drain region; a third semiconductor layer adjoining the layer stack and each of the first source region, first drain region, and each gate region; and active regions of a second transistor device integrated in the third semiconductor layer in a second region spaced apart from a first region of the third semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Henning Feick, Franz Hirler, Andreas Meiser
  • Patent number: 11227945
    Abstract: A transistor device includes at least one transistor cell which includes: a source region, a body region and a drift region in a semiconductor body; a gate electrode dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric; a field electrode dielectrically insulated from the drift region by a field electrode dielectric; and a contact plug extending from a first surface of the semiconductor body to the field electrode. A portion of the semiconductor body is arranged between the field electrode trench and the first surface of the semiconductor body. The portion of the semiconductor body that is arranged between the field electrode trench and the first surface comprises the body region. The body region directly contacts the upper surface of the field electrode dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Markus Zundel, Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 11211483
    Abstract: A method and a transistor device are disclosed. The method includes: forming a trench in a first surface in an edge region of a semiconductor body; forming an insulation layer in the trench and on the first surface of the semiconductor body; and planarizing the insulation layer so that a trench insulation layer that fills the trench remains, wherein forming the insulation layer comprises a thermal oxidation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans Weber, Christian Fachmann, Franz Hirler, Winfried Kaindl, Markus Rochel
  • Publication number: 20210376066
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a layer stack with first and second semiconductor layers of complementary doping types are arranged alternatingly between first and second surfaces of the layer stack. A first semiconductor region adjoins the first semiconductor layers and has a first end arranged in a first device region and extends from the first end into a second device region. Second semiconductor regions adjoin at least one of the second semiconductor layers. A third semiconductor region adjoins the first semiconductor layers. The first semiconductor region extends from the first device region into the second device region and is spaced apart from the third semiconductor region. The second semiconductor regions are arranged between, and spaced apart from, the third and first semiconductor regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Ahmed Mahmoud, Franz Hirler, Marco Mueller, Rolf Weis
  • Publication number: 20210376065
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a layer stack with first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers of opposite doping types arranged alternatingly. A first semiconductor region of a first semiconductor device adjoins the first semiconductor layers, and has a first end arranged in a first region of the first semiconductor device and extends from the first end into a second region of the first semiconductor device. Second semiconductor regions of the first semiconductor device adjoin at least one of the second semiconductor layers. A third semiconductor region of the first semiconductor device adjoins the first semiconductor layers. The first semiconductor region extends from the first region into the second region and is spaced apart from the third semiconductor region. The second semiconductor regions are arranged between, and spaced apart from, the third and first semiconductor regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Ahmed Mahmoud, Franz Hirler, Marco Mueller, Rolf Weis
  • Patent number: 11133391
    Abstract: A transistor device includes, in a semiconductor body, a drift region, a body region, and a source region separated from the drift region by the body region and connected to a source node. The transistor device further includes a gate electrode dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric, and a field electrode structure. The field electrode structure includes: a first field electrode connected to the source node and dielectrically insulated from the drift region by a first field electrode dielectric; a second field electrode dielectrically insulated from the drift region by a second field electrode dielectric; and a coupling circuit connected between the second field electrode and the source node and configured to connect the second field electrode to the source node dependent on a voltage between the source node and the second field electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Cesar Augusto Braz, Gerhard Noebauer, Martin Henning Vielemeyer