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: 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
  • Patent number: 9972619
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device arrangement including a first semiconductor device having a load path, and a plurality of second transistors, each having a load path between a first and a second load terminal and a control terminal. The second transistors have their load paths connected in series and connected in series to the load path of the first transistor, each of the second transistors has its control terminal connected to the load terminal of one of the other second transistors, and one of the second transistors has its control terminal connected to one of the load terminals of the first semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Franz Hirler, Martin Feldtkeller, Gerald Deboy, Matthias Stecher, Armin Willmeroth
  • Patent number: 9960156
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor device is provided. According to an embodiment, the integrated semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a first surface with a normal direction defining a vertical direction, an opposite surface, a first area including a vertical power field-effect transistor structure, a second area including a three-terminal step-down level-shifter, and a third area including a three-terminal step-up level-shifter. A terminal of the vertical power field-effect transistor structure is electrically connected with one of the three-terminal step-down level-shifter and the three-terminal step-up level-shifter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Andreas Meiser, Steffen Thiele
  • Patent number: 9954056
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a transistor cell region and a transition region. The transistor cell region includes a first portion of a super junction structure and a first contact structure electrically connecting a first load electrode with first source zones of transistor cells. The first source zones are formed on opposite sides of the first contact structure. The transition region directly adjoins to the transistor cell region and includes a second portion of the super junction structure and a second contact structure electrically connecting the first load electrode with a second source zone. The second source zone is formed only at a side of the second contact structure oriented to the transistor cell region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Stefan Gamerith
  • Patent number: 9947741
    Abstract: In a field-effect semiconductor device, alternating first n-type and p-type pillar regions are arranged in the active area. The first n-type pillar regions are in Ohmic contact with the drain metallization. The first p-type pillar regions are in Ohmic contact with the source metallization. An integrated dopant concentration of the first n-type pillar regions substantially matches that of the first p-type pillar regions. A second p-type pillar region is in Ohmic contact with the source metallization, arranged in the peripheral area and has an integrated dopant concentration smaller than that of the first p-type pillar regions divided by a number of the first p-type pillar regions. A second n-type pillar region is arranged between the second p-type pillar region and the first p-type pillar regions, and has an integrated dopant concentration smaller than that of the first n-type pillar regions divided by a number of the first n-type pillar regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide, Anton Mauder, Joachim Weyers, Franz Hirler, Markus Schmitt, Armin Willmeroth, Björn Fischer, Stefan Gamerith
  • Patent number: 9947648
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body including a first trench extending into the semiconductor body from a first surface and a diode including an anode region and a cathode region. One of the anode region and the cathode region is at least partly arranged in the first trench. The other one of the anode region and the cathode region includes a first semiconductor region directly adjoining the one of the anode region and the cathode region from outside of the first trench, thereby constituting a pn junction. The semiconductor device further includes a conducting path through a sidewall of the first trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Anton Mauder, Franz Hirler, Andreas Meiser, Ulrich Glaser
  • Patent number: 9941276
    Abstract: A semiconductor component arrangement method includes producing a trench transistor structure including at least one trench disposed in the semiconductor body and at least one gate electrode disposed in the at least one trench. The method also includes producing a capacitor structure comprising an electrode structure disposed in at least one further trench, the electrode structure comprising at least one electrode. The gate electrode and the at least one electrode of the electrode structure are produced by common process steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Markus Zundel, Franz Hirler, Norbert Krischke
  • Patent number: 9941349
    Abstract: A trench etch mask is formed on a process surface of a semiconductor layer. By using the trench etch mask, both first trenches and second trenches are formed that extend from the process surface into the semiconductor layer. The first and second trenches alternate along at least one horizontal direction parallel to the process surface. First semiconductor regions of a first conductivity type are formed in the first trenches. Second semiconductor regions of a second, opposite conductivity type are formed in the second trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Andreas Meiser, Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 9941365
    Abstract: A method for producing a field-effect semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor body with a first surface defining a vertical direction, defining an active area, forming a vertical trench from the first surface into the semiconductor body, forming a field dielectric layer at least on a side wall and a bottom wall of the vertical trench, depositing a conductive layer on the field dielectric layer, forming a closed cavity on the conductive layer in the vertical trench, and forming an insulated gate electrode on the closed cavity in the vertical trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Stefan Sedlmaier, Markus Zundel, Franz Hirler, Johannes Baumgartl, Anton Mauder, Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Michael Hutzler
  • Publication number: 20180090479
    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-j unction 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: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Franz Hirler, Ahmed Mahmoud, Yann Ruet, Enrique Vecino Vazquez
  • Patent number: 9929181
    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: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH
    Inventors: Thoralf Kautzsch, Alessia Scire, Steffen Bieselt, Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder, Wolfgang Scholz, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez
  • Publication number: 20180083111
    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: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Martin Vielemeyer
  • Patent number: 9923066
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source zone electrically connected to a first load terminal, a contiguous zone isolating the source zone from a drift zone, and a trench extending into a semiconductor body along a vertical direction and including a first electrode electrically connected to a control terminal and an insulator in contact with the contiguous zone and which isolates the first electrode from the semiconductor body. The insulator has, at a trench bottom region, a first thickness along the vertical direction, and, at a trench top region, a second thickness along a lateral direction, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness by a factor of at least 1.5. The contiguous zone is arranged in contact with the insulator and extends further along the vertical direction than the trench, and the trench bottom region and the contiguous zone overlap along the lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Daniel Kueck, Thomas Aichinger, Franz Hirler, Anton Mauder
  • Patent number: 9917159
    Abstract: An embodiment of a semiconductor device includes a transistor cell array having transistor cells in a semiconductor body. A planar gate structure is on the semiconductor body at a first side. Field electrode trenches extend into the semiconductor body from the first side. Each of the field electrode trenches includes a field electrode structure. A depth d of the field electrode trenches is greater than a maximum lateral dimension wmax of the field electrode trenches at the first side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Michael Hutzler, Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Publication number: 20180061979
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is manufactured in a semiconductor body of a wafer by forming a mask on a surface of the semiconductor body. The mask has a plurality of first mask openings in a transistor cell area and a mask opening design outside the transistor cell area. The mask opening design includes one second mask opening or a plurality of second mask openings encircling the transistor cell area. The plurality of second mask openings are consecutively arranged at lateral distances smaller than a width of the plurality of second mask openings. A plurality of first trenches are formed in the semiconductor body at the first mask openings. One or a plurality of second trenches are formed at the one or plurality of second mask openings. The first trenches and the and one or the plurality of second trenches are filled with a filling material including at least a semiconductor material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Hans Weber, Andreas Voerckel, Franz Hirler, Maximilian Treiber