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).

  • Publication number: 20190287804
    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: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Thomas Gross, Hermann Gruber, Franz Hirler, Andreas Meiser, Markus Rochel, Till Schloesser, Detlef Weber
  • Publication number: 20190252492
    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: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Hans Weber
  • Patent number: 10354992
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a transistor arrangement and a diode structure. The diode structure is coupled between a gate electrode structure of the transistor arrangement and a source electrode structure of the transistor arrangement. An insulating layer is located vertically between the diode structure and a front side surface of a semiconductor substrate of the semiconductor device. The diode structure includes at least one diode pn-junction. A substrate pn-junction extends from the front side surface of the semiconductor substrate into the semiconductor substrate between a shielding doping region and an edge doping portion. The edge doping portion is located adjacent to the shielding doping region within the semiconductor substrate. At the front side surface of the semiconductor substrate, the substrate pn-junction is located laterally between the diode pn-junction and a source contact region of the diode structure with the source electrode structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Franz Hirler, Ahmed Mahmoud, Yann Ruet, Enrique Vecino Vazquez
  • Patent number: 10355087
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a transistor in a semiconductor substrate having a main surface. The transistor includes a source region, a drain region, a channel region, a drift zone, a gate electrode, and a gate dielectric adjacent to the gate electrode. The gate electrode is disposed adjacent to at least two sides of the channel region. The channel region and the drift zone are disposed along a first direction parallel to the main surface between the source region and the drain region. The gate dielectric has a thickness that varies at different positions of the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Martin Vielemeyer, Andreas Meiser, Till Schloesser, Franz Hirler, Martin Poelzl
  • Publication number: 20190198609
    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: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Henning Feick, Franz Hirler, Andreas Meiser
  • Publication number: 20190198661
    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: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Markus Zundel, Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 10325996
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is produced by providing a semiconductor substrate, forming an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor substrate, and introducing dopant atoms of a first doping type and dopant atoms of a second doping type into the epitaxial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Helmut Strack, Frank Kahlmann, Gerhard Miller
  • Patent number: 10319810
    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: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Hans Weber
  • Publication number: 20190157402
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a power semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor body for conducting a load current between first and second load terminals; source and channel regions and a drift volume in the semiconductor body; a semiconductor zone in the semiconductor body and coupling the drift volume to the second load terminal, a first transition established between the semiconductor zone and the drift volume; a control electrode insulated from the semiconductor body and the load terminals and configured to control a path of the load current in the channel region; and a trench extending into the drift volume along an extension direction and including a field electrode. A cross-sectional area of the field electrode is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the control electrode in a plane parallel to the extension direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventor: Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 10283634
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source metallization, a source region of a first conductivity type in contact with the source metallization, a body region of a second conductivity type which is adjacent to the source region. The semiconductor device further includes a first field-effect structure including a first insulated gate electrode and a second field-effect structure including a second insulated gate electrode which is electrically connected to the source metallization. The capacitance per unit area between the second insulated gate electrode and the body region is larger than the capacitance per unit area between the first insulated gate electrode and the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Oliver Haeberlen, Joachim Krumrey, Franz Hirler, Walter Rieger
  • Publication number: 20190123137
    Abstract: A method for forming a field-effect semiconductor device includes providing a wafer having a substantially compensated semiconductor layer extending to an upper side and including a semiconductor material which is co-doped with n-type dopants and p-type dopants. A peripheral area laterally surrounding an active area are defined in the wafer. Trenches in the active area are filled with a substantially intrinsic semiconductor material. More p-type dopants than n-type dopants are diffused from the compensated semiconductor layer into the intrinsic semiconductor material to form a plurality of p-type compensation regions in the trenches which are separated from each other by respective n-type drift portions. P-type dopants are introduced at least into a semiconductor zone of the peripheral area, so that the semiconductor zone and a dielectric layer on the upper side form an interface. A horizontal extension of the interface is larger than a vertical extension of the trenches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Daniel Tutuc, Christian Fachmann, Franz Hirler, Maximilian Treiber
  • Publication number: 20190123153
    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: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Michael Hutzler, Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Publication number: 20190115467
    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: December 5, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventor: Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 10263086
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes first and second field electrode structures that extend from a first surface into a semiconductor portion. The first field electrode structures include a first field dielectric insulating spicular first field electrodes against the semiconductor portion. The second field electrode structures include a second field dielectric insulating spicular second field electrodes against the semiconductor portion. The second field dielectric is thicker than the first field dielectric. Openings of the first and second field electrode structures in the first surface may be non-circular symmetric, wherein the openings of the second field electrode structures are tilted with respect to the openings of the first field electrode structures. Alternatively or in addition, the openings of the second field electrode structures in the first surface may be greater than the openings of the first field electrode structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Martin Vielemeyer
  • Publication number: 20190097005
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate structure comprising a cell region and an edge termination region surrounding the cell region. Further it comprises a plurality of needle-shaped cell trenches within the cell region reaching from a surface of the semiconductor substrate structure into the substrate structure and an edge termination trench within the edge termination region surrounding the cell region at the surface of the semiconductor substrate structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec, Li Juin Yip
  • Patent number: 10243071
    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: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Markus Zundel, Franz Hirler
  • Publication number: 20190058038
    Abstract: A method includes forming first regions of a first doping type and second regions of a second doping type in first and second semiconductor layers such that the first and second regions are arranged alternately in at least one horizontal direction of the first and second semiconductor layers, and forming a control structure with transistor cells each including at least one body region, at least one source region and at least one gate electrode in the second semiconductor layer. Forming the first and second regions includes: forming trenches in the first semiconductor layer and implanting at least one of first and second type dopant atoms into sidewalls of the trenches; forming the second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer such that the second layer fills the trenches; implanting at least one of first and second type dopant atoms into the second semiconductor layer; and at least one temperature process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: Hans Weber, Franz Hirler, Maximilian Treiber, Daniel Tutuc, Andreas Voerckel
  • Patent number: 10211057
    Abstract: A transistor component includes in a semiconductor body a source zone and a drift zone of a first conduction type, and a body zone of a second conduction type complementary to the first conduction type, the body zone arranged between the drift zone and the source zone. The transistor component further includes a source electrode in contact with the source zone and the body zone, a gate electrode adjacent the body zone and dielectrically insulated from the body zone by a gate dielectric layer, and a diode structure connected between the drift zone and the source electrode. The diode structure includes a first emitter zone adjoining the drift zone in the semiconductor body, and a second emitter zone of the first conduction type adjoining the first emitter zone. The second emitter zone is connected to the source electrode and has an emitter efficiency ? of less than 0.7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Thomas Raker, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Wolfgang Werner
  • Patent number: 10211300
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of a method of forming a semiconductor device, a semiconductor layer including a first dopant species of a first conductivity type and a second dopant species of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type is formed. The semiconductor layer is part of a semiconductor body having opposite first and second surfaces. Trenches are formed in the semiconductor layer at the first surface. The trenches are filled with a filling material including at least a semiconductor material. A thermal oxide is formed at one or both of the first and second surfaces, the thermal oxide having a thickness of at least 200 nm. Thermal processing of the semiconductor body causes diffusion of the first and second dopants species into the filling material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Gabor Mezoesi, Hans Weber
  • Publication number: 20190051647
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having first and second opposing sides, an active area, and an inactive area which is, in a projection onto to the first and/or second side, arranged between the active area and an edge of the semiconductor body. A transistor structure in the active area includes a source region adjacent the first side and forms a first pn-junction in the semiconductor body. A gate electrode insulated from the semiconductor body is arranged adjacent to the first pn-junction. A capacitor in the inactive area includes first and second conductors arranged over each other on the first side. A source contact structure arranged above the capacitor is in Ohmic connection with the source region and the first conductor. A gate contact structure is arranged above the capacitor, spaced apart from the source contact structure and in Ohmic connection with the gate electrode and the second conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Franz Hirler, Maximilian Treiber