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: 20190051529
    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: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Hans Weber, Franz Hirler, Johannes Georg Laven, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Werner Schustereder, Maximilian Treiber, Daniel Tutuc, Andreas Voerckel
  • Patent number: 10204993
    Abstract: 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. An ohmic resistance of the field electrode is greater than an ohmic resistance of the control electrode. A distance between the field electrode and the first transition is at least 70% of the total extension of the drift volume in the extension direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 10199456
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided. The device includes a semiconductor substrate having a main surface and a rear surface vertically spaced apart from the main surface, a first doped region, a second doped region and a third doped region. The third doped region is interposed between the first and second doped regions beneath the main surface. Field plate trenches having field plates vertically extend from the main surface to a bottom that is arranged in the first doped region. A gate trench having a gate electrode vertically extends from the main surface to the first doped region. A compensation zone vertically extends from the bottom of the gate trench deeper into the first doped region. The compensation zone is laterally aligned with the gate trench and is adjacent to the field plates along a cross-sectional plane of the device that is parallel to the main surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Minghao Jin, Li Juin Yip, Oliver Blank, Martin Vielemeyer, Franz Hirler
  • Publication number: 20190035885
    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: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Enrique Vecino Vazquez, Daniel Pobig, Franz Hirler, Manfred Pippan, Patrick Schindler
  • Publication number: 20190019887
    Abstract: A charge-compensation semiconductor device includes a source metallization spaced apart from a gate metallization, and a semiconductor body including opposing first and second sides, a drift region, a plurality of body regions adjacent the first side and each forming a respective first pn-junction with the drift region, and a plurality of compensation regions arranged between the second side and the body regions. Each compensation region forms a respective further pn-junction with the drift region. A plurality of gate electrodes in Ohmic connection with the gate metallization is arranged adjacent the first side and separated from the body regions and the drift region by a dielectric region. A resistive current path is formed between one of the gate electrodes and a first one of the compensation regions, or between the first one of the compensation regions and a further metallization spaced apart from the source metallization and the gate metallization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Armin Willmeroth, Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Frank Dieter Pfirsch, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Uwe Wahl
  • Patent number: 10181511
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a gate electrode in a trench in a semiconductor body. The gate electrode comprises a plurality of gate segments disposed along an extension direction of the trench, the gate segments being connected to neighboring gate segments by means of connection elements. A distance between adjacent gate segments is equal to or smaller than 0.5*L, wherein L denotes a length of each of the gate segments, the length being measured along the extension direction of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Martin Poelzl, Georg Ehrentraut, Franz Hirler, Maximilian Roesch
  • Patent number: 10170615
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source region and a drain region of a first conductivity type. The source region and the drain region are arranged in a first direction parallel to a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a layer stack having a drift layer of the first conductivity type and a compensation layer of a second conductivity type. The drain region is electrically connected with the drift layer. The semiconductor device also includes a connection region of the second conductivity type extending into the semiconductor substrate, the connection region being electrically connected with the compensation layer, wherein the buried semiconductor portion does not fully overlap with the drift layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Andreas Meiser, Till Schloesser
  • Patent number: 10170497
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, an electronic device may include a carrier including at least a first region and a second region being laterally adjacent to each other; an electrically insulating structure arranged in the first region of the carrier, wherein the second region of the carrier is free of the electrically insulating structure; a first electronic component arranged in the first region of the carrier over the electrically insulating structure; a second electronic component arranged in the second region of the carrier; wherein the electrically insulating structure includes one or more hollow chambers, wherein the sidewalls of the one or more hollow chambers are covered with an electrically insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Inventors: Thoralf Kautzsch, Alessia Scire, Steffen Bieselt, Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Wolfgang Scholz, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 10164025
    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: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec, Li Juin Yip
  • Patent number: 10157982
    Abstract: A field-effect semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a first side, an edge delimiting the semiconductor body in a direction substantially parallel to the first side, an active area, and a peripheral area arranged between the active area and the edge. A first metallization is arranged on the first side, and a second metallization is arranged opposite the first metallization and in Ohmic connection with the first semiconductor region. In the active area, the semiconductor body further includes: a plurality of drift portions of the first conductivity type alternating with compensation regions of a second conductivity type, the drift portions being in Ohmic connection with the first semiconductor region, the compensation regions being in Ohmic connection with the first metallization and having in a vertical direction perpendicular to the first side a vertical extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Daniel Tutuc, Christian Fachmann, Franz Hirler, Maximilian Treiber
  • Patent number: 10134845
    Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having first and second opposing sides and an edge termination region arranged between an active region and an outer rim. The semiconductor body further includes a first doping region in the active region and connected to a first electrode arranged on the first side of the semiconductor body, a second doping region in the active region and the edge termination region and connected to a second electrode arranged on the second side of the semiconductor body, a drift region between the first doping region and the second doping region, the drift region comprising a first portion adjacent to the first side of the semiconductor body and a second portion arranged between the first portion and the second doping region, and an insulating region arranged in the edge termination region between the second doping region and the first portion of the drift region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder
  • Patent number: 10109489
    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: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    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
  • Publication number: 20180301537
    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: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Stefan Gamerith, Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder
  • Publication number: 20180301553
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a trench structure extending into a semiconductor body from a first surface. The trench structure has a shield electrode, a dielectric structure and a diode structure. The diode structure is arranged at least partly between the first surface and a first part of the dielectric structure. The shield electrode is arranged between the first part of the dielectric structure and a bottom of the trench structure. The shield electrode and the semiconductor body are electrically isolated by the dielectric structure. Corresponding methods of manufacture are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 10096704
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of compensation regions of a vertical electrical element arrangement, a plurality of drift regions of the vertical electrical element arrangement and a non-depletable doping region. The compensation regions of the plurality of compensation regions are arranged in a semiconductor substrate of the semiconductor device. Further, the plurality of drift regions of the vertical electrical element arrangement is arranged in the semiconductor substrate within a cell region of the semiconductor device. The plurality of drift regions and the plurality of compensation regions are arranged alternatingly in a lateral direction. The non-depletable doping region extends laterally from an edge of the cell region towards an edge of the semiconductor substrate. The non-depletable doping region has a doping non-depletable by voltages applied to the semiconductor device during blocking operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 10084038
    Abstract: An epitaxial layer is formed by epitaxy on a base substrate at a front side. From opposite to the front side, at least a portion of the base substrate is removed, wherein the base substrate is completely removed or a remnant base section has a thickness of at most 20 ?m. Dopants of a first charge type are implanted from opposite of the front side into an implant layer of the epitaxial layer. A metal drain electrode is formed opposite to the front side. At least the implant layer is heated to a temperature not higher than 500° C. The heating activates only a portion of the implanted dopants in the implant layer. After heating, an integrated concentration of activated dopants along a shortest line between the metal drain electrode and a closest doped region of a second, complementary charge type is at most 1.5E13 cm?2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Enrique Vecino Vazquez, Daniel Pobig, Franz Hirler, Manfred Pippan, Patrick Schindler
  • Publication number: 20180204914
    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: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Maximilian Treiber, Franz Hirler
  • Publication number: 20180175069
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, an electronic device may include a carrier including at least a first region and a second region being laterally adjacent to each other; an electrically insulating structure arranged in the first region of the carrier, wherein the second region of the carrier is free of the electrically insulating structure; a first electronic component arranged in the first region of the carrier over the electrically insulating structure; a second electronic component arranged in the second region of the carrier; wherein the electrically insulating structure includes one or more hollow chambers, wherein the sidewalls of the one or more hollow chambers are covered with an electrically insulating material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Thoralf Kautzsch, Alessia Scire, Steffen Bieselt, Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Wolfgang Scholz, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez
  • Publication number: 20180175187
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a plurality of transistor cells. Each one of the plurality of transistor cells comprises a trench extending into a drift zone of a semiconductor body from a first surface, the drift zone being of a first conductivity type. The semiconductor device further comprises a gate electrode structure. A field electrode structure and a first dielectric structure are in the trench. A doped region is embedded in the drift zone lining a bottom side of the trench. The doped region is one of a first conductivity type having a doping concentration lower than the drift zone, and a second conductivity type complementary to the first conductivity type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventor: Franz Hirler
  • Publication number: 20180166543
    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: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec, Li Juin Yip