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: 10903321
    Abstract: First trenches extend from a process surface into a semiconductor layer. An alignment layer with mask pits in a with respect to the process surface vertical projection of the first trenches is formed on the process surface. Sidewalls of the mask pits have a smaller tilt angle with respect to the process surface than sidewalls of the first trenches. The mask pits are filled with an auxiliary material. A gate trench for a gate structure is formed in a mesa section of the semiconductor layer between the first trenches, wherein the auxiliary material is used as an etch mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Martin Poelzl, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Maximilian Roesch, Li Juin Yip
  • Patent number: 10903079
    Abstract: A method includes: forming first and second trenches in a semiconductor body; forming a first material layer on the semiconductor body in the first and second trenches such that a first residual trench remains in the first trench and a second residual trench remains in the second trench; removing the first material from the second trench; and forming a second material layer on the first material layer in the first residual trench and on the semiconductor body in the second trench. The first material layer includes dopants of a first doping type and the second material layer includes dopants of a second doping type. The method further includes diffusing dopants from the first material layer in the first trench into the semiconductor body to form a first doped region, and from the second material layer in the second trench into the semiconductor body to form a second doped region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Thomas Gross, Hermann Gruber, Franz Hirler, Andreas Meiser, Markus Rochel, Till Schloesser, Detlef Weber
  • Publication number: 20210020626
    Abstract: A half-bridge circuit includes a low-side transistor and a high-side transistor each having a load path and a control terminal, and a high-side drive circuit having a level shifter with a level shifter transistor. The low-side transistor and the level shifter transistor are integrated in a common semiconductor body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Armin Willmeroth, Franz Hirler, Peter Irsigler
  • Patent number: 10872957
    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 plurality of transistor cells and a gate structure that forms a grid separating transistor sections of the transistor cells from each other, each of the transistor sections including a needle-shaped first field plate structure extending from a first surface into the semiconductor substrate. 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 first field plate structures form a first portion of a regular pattern and the second field plate structures form a second portion of the same regular pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Michael Hutzler, David Laforet, Cedric Ouvrard, Li Juin Yip
  • Publication number: 20200388703
    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: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Christian Fachmann, Winfried Kaindl, Hans Weber
  • Publication number: 20200381511
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes transistor cells formed along a first surface at a front side of a semiconductor body and having body regions of a first conductivity type, a drift region of a second conductivity type that is opposite from the first conductivity type and is disposed between the body regions and a second surface of the semiconductor body that is opposite from the first surface, and an emitter layer of the second conductivity type that is disposed between the drift region and a second surface of the semiconductor body, the emitter layer having a higher dopant concentration than the drift region, a metal drain electrode directly adjoining the emitter layer. The metal drain electrode comprises spikes extending into the emitter layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Enrique Vecino Vazquez, Franz Hirler, Manfred Pippan, Daniel Pobig, Patrick Schindler
  • Publication number: 20200365723
    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: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventor: Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 10833066
    Abstract: A half-bridge circuit includes a low-side transistor and a high-side transistor each having a load path and a control terminal, and a high-side drive circuit having a level shifter with a level shifter transistor. The low-side transistor and the level shifter transistor are integrated in a common semiconductor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Armin Willmeroth, Franz Hirler, Peter Irsigler
  • Patent number: 10811529
    Abstract: A transistor device comprises at least one gate electrode, a gate runner connected to the at least one gate electrode and arranged on top of a semiconductor body, a plurality of gate pads arranged on top of the semiconductor body, and a plurality of resistor arrangements. Each gate pad is electrically connected to the gate runner via a respective one of the plurality of resistor arrangements, and each of the resistor arrangements has an electrical resistance, wherein the resistances of the plurality of resistor arrangements are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Andreas Riegler, Christian Fachmann, Bjoern Fischer, Franz Hirler, Gabor Mezoesi, Hans Weber
  • Publication number: 20200321463
    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: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Andreas Boehm, Franz Hirler, Enrique Vecino Vazquez
  • Publication number: 20200303539
    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: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Markus Zundel, Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 10784339
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device includes: transistor cells formed along a first surface at a front side of a semiconductor portion; a drain structure between the transistor cells and a second surface of the semiconductor portion opposite to the first surface, the drain structure forming first pn junctions with body regions of the transistor cells and including an emitter layer directly adjoining the second surface; and a metal drain electrode directly adjoining the emitter layer. An integrated concentration of activated dopants along a shortest line between the metal drain electrode and a closest doped region of a charge type of the body regions is at most 1.5E13 cm?2. Further semiconductor device embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Enrique Vecino Vazquez, Daniel Pobig, Franz Hirler, Manfred Pippan, Patrick Schindler
  • Publication number: 20200287535
    Abstract: A method for operating a superjunction transistor device and a transistor arrangement are disclosed. The method includes operating the superjunction transistor device in a diode state. Operating the superjunction transistor device in the diode state includes applying a bias voltage different from zero between a drift region of at least one transistor cell of the superjunction transistor device and a compensation region of a doping type complementary to a doping type of the drift region. The compensation region adjoins the drift region, and a polarity of the bias voltage is such that a pn-junction between the drift region and the compensation region is reverse biased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Hans Weber, Christian Fachmann, Franz Hirler, Matteo-Alessandro Kutschak, Andreas Riegler
  • Patent number: 10770541
    Abstract: A semiconductor device of an embodiment includes transistor cells in a transistor cell area of a semiconductor body. A super junction structure in the semiconductor body includes a plurality of drift sub-regions and compensation sub-regions of opposite first and second conductivity types, respectively, and alternately arranged along a lateral direction. A termination area outside the transistor cell area between an edge of the semiconductor body and the transistor cell area includes first and third termination sub-regions of the first conductivity type, respectively. A second termination sub-region of the second conductivity type is sandwiched between the first and the third termination sub-regions along a vertical direction perpendicular to a first surface of the semiconductor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Hans Weber
  • Patent number: 10770578
    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: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 10734480
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a transistor. The transistor includes a source region adjacent to a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate, the source region being electrically coupled to a source terminal via a source contact. The transistor further includes a gate electrode over the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate, a drain region adjacent to a second main surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a conductive plate vertically adjacent to the gate electrode. The conductive plate is in electrical contact with the source terminal. The transistor further includes an insulating material arranged between the conductive plate and the source contact in a direction parallel to the first main surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Maximilian Treiber, Franz Hirler
  • Publication number: 20200243340
    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: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Hans Weber, Franz Hirler, Johannes Georg Laven, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Werner Schustereder, Maximilian Treiber, Daniel Tutuc, Andreas Voerckel
  • Patent number: 10707342
    Abstract: Disclosed is a transistor device and a method for producing thereof. The transistor device includes at least one transistor cell, wherein the at least one transistor cell 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 and adjoining the source region and the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technology Austria AG
    Inventors: Markus Zundel, Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 10700172
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a semiconductor device is provided that includes a semiconductor body having a first conductivity type, a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, a gate arranged on the first major surface, a body region having a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type, the body region extending into the semiconductor body from the first major surface, a source region having the first conductivity type, the source region being arranged in the body region, a buried channel shielding region having the second conductivity type, a contact region having the second conductivity type, and a field plate arranged in a trench extending into the semiconductor body from the first major surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Michael Hutzler, Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Patent number: 10679855
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method that includes forming a plurality of semiconductor arrangements one above the other. In this method, forming each of the plurality of semiconductor arrangements includes: forming a semiconductor layer; forming a plurality of trenches in a first surface of the semiconductor layer; and implanting dopant atoms of at least one of a first type and a second type into at least one of a first sidewall and a second sidewall of each of the plurality of trenches of the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    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