Patents by Inventor Hans-Joachim Schulze

Hans-Joachim Schulze 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: 11791383
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a SiC substrate and a plurality of transistor cells formed in the SiC substrate and electrically connected in parallel to form a transistor. Each transistor cell includes a gate structure including a gate electrode and a gate dielectric stack separating the gate electrode from the SiC substrate. The gate dielectric stack includes a ferroelectric insulator. The transistor has a specified operating temperature range, and the ferroelectric insulator is doped with a doping material such that the Curie temperature of the ferroelectric insulator is in a range above the specified operating temperature range of the transistor. A corresponding method of producing the semiconductor device is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Saurabh Roy, Thomas Aichinger, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20230317797
    Abstract: A wide band gap semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface along a vertical direction. The semiconductor device further includes a first region of a first conductivity type adjoining at least partially the first surface, a drift region of a second conductivity type, a highly doped second region adjoining the second surface, and a buffer region of the second conductivity type arranged between the drift region and the highly doped second region. A vertical profile of a doping concentration of the buffer region includes at least one step in a first section and is increasing approximately exponentially toward the second surface in a second section. The first section is arranged between the second section and the highly doped second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Rudolf Elpelt, Jens Peter Konrath, Konrad Schraml
  • Publication number: 20230317456
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in a semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface is proposed. Semiconductor device elements are formed in the semiconductor body by processing the semiconductor body at the first surface. A wiring area is formed over the first surface of the semiconductor body. The semiconductor body is attached to a carrier via the wiring area. Thereafter, ions are implanted through the second surface into the semiconductor body. The ions are ions of a doping element, or ions, which induce doping by complex formation, or ions of a heavy metal. A surface region of the semiconductor body at the second surface is irradiated with a plurality of laser pulses. Thereafter, the carrier is removed from the semiconductor body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Moriz Jelinek, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Werner Schustereder, Daniel Schlögl, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez
  • Publication number: 20230299147
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method that includes: measuring at least one characteristic of a superjunction region of a SiC superjunction device, wherein the superjunction region is arranged in a semiconductor body and comprises a plurality of first regions of a first doping type and a plurality of second regions of a second doping type complementary to the first doping type; and generating dopant like defects of one doping type in the superjunction region in a doping process. At least one parameter of the doping process is adjusted dependent on the at least one measured characteristic. The doping process includes an implantation process in which particles are implanted into the semiconductor body to form crystal defects in the semiconductor body in the superjunction region, and an annealing process in order to form the dopant like defects based on the crystal defects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Moriz JELINEK, Jens Peter KONRATH, Hans-Joachim SCHULZE, Andre Rainer STEGNER
  • Patent number: 11764063
    Abstract: A silicon carbide substrate is provided that includes a drift layer of a first conductivity type and a trench extending from a main surface of the silicon carbide substrate into the drift layer. First dopants are implanted through a first trench sidewall of the trench. The first dopants have a second conductivity type and are implanted at a first implant angle into the silicon carbide substrate, wherein at the first implant angle channeling occurs in the silicon carbide substrate. The first dopants form a first compensation layer extending parallel to the first trench sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Romain Esteve, Moriz Jelinek, Caspar Leendertz, Werner Schustereder
  • Patent number: 11764296
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a trench in a first major surface of a semiconductor body having a first conductivity type; forming a gate in the trench; forming a body region of a second conductivity type in the semiconductor body; implanting a second dopant species into a first region of the body region and a first dopant species into a second region of the body region, the first dopant species providing the first conductivity type, the second dopant species being different from the first dopant species and reducing the diffusion of the first dopant species in the semiconductor body; and thermally annealing the semiconductor body to form a source region that includes the first and second dopant species, and to produce a pn-junction between the source and body regions at a depth dpn from the first major surface, wherein 50 nm<dpn<300 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Johannes Georg Laven, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Werner Schustereder
  • Publication number: 20230290828
    Abstract: An insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is proposed. The IGBT includes a semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface. The IGBT further includes an active area and an edge termination area that at least partly surrounds the active area. The active area includes a first part of an active IGBT area and a second part of the active IGBT area. The IGBT further includes a contact on the second surface of the semiconductor body. A minimum vertical distance between the contact in the first part of the active IGBT area and a reference level at the first surface is larger than a minimum vertical distance between the contact in the second part of the active IGBT area and the reference level at the first surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Matteo Dainese, Alim Karmous, Christian Philipp Sandow, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Daniel Schlögl, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20230282608
    Abstract: A semiconductor die package includes a semiconductor transistor die having a contact pad on an upper main face. The semiconductor die package also includes an electrical conductor disposed on the contact pad and fabricated by laser-assisted structuring of a metallic material, and an encapsulant covering the semiconductor die and at least a portion of the electrical conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Edward Fürgut, Irmgard Escher-Poeppel, Martin Gruber, Ivan Nikitin, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 11742215
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device, including forming a first semiconductor layer on a semiconductor substrate, the first semiconductor layer being of the same dopant type as the semiconductor substrate, the first semiconductor layer having a higher dopant concentration than the semiconductor substrate, increasing the porosity of the first semiconductor layer, first annealing the first semiconductor layer at a temperature of at least 1050° C., forming a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer and separating the second semiconductor layer from the semiconductor substrate by splitting within the first semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Alexander Breymesser, Bernhard Goller, Matthias Kuenle, Helmut Oefner, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Stephan Voss
  • Patent number: 11742391
    Abstract: A semiconductor component includes a semiconductor component, including: a merged PiN Schottky (MPS) diode structure in a SiC semiconductor body having a drift zone of a first conductivity type; an injection region of a second conductivity type adjoining a first surface of the SiC semiconductor body; a contact structure at the first surface, the contact structure forming a Schottky contact with the drift zone and electrically contacting the injection region; and a zone of the first conductivity type formed between the injection region and a second surface of the SiC semiconductor body, the second surface being situated opposite the first surface. The zone is at a maximal distance of 1 ?m from the injection region of the second conductivity type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Basler, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Patent number: 11742384
    Abstract: A vertical power semiconductor device is proposed. The vertical power semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface along a vertical direction. The vertical power semiconductor device further includes a drift region in the semiconductor body. The drift region includes platinum atoms. The vertical power semiconductor device further includes a field stop region in the semiconductor body between the drift region and the second main surface. The field stop region includes a plurality of impurity peaks. A first impurity peak of the plurality of impurity peaks has a larger concentration than a second impurity peak of the plurality of impurity peaks. The first impurity peak includes hydrogen and the second impurity peak includes helium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Christian Jaeger, Moriz Jelinek, Daniel Schloegl, Benedikt Stoib
  • Patent number: 11735642
    Abstract: A method includes providing a layer of porous silicon carbide supported by a silicon carbide substrate, providing a layer of epitaxial silicon carbide on the layer of porous silicon carbide, forming a plurality of semiconductor devices in the layer of epitaxial silicon carbide, and separating the substrate from the layer of epitaxial silicon carbide at the layer of porous silicon carbide. Additional methods are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Roland Rupp, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 11728427
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is described. The semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; an electrode structure on or in the semiconductor substrate, the electrode structure including an electrode and an insulating material that separates the electrode from the semiconductor substrate; and a strain-inducing material embedded in the electrode. The electrode structure adjoins a region of the semiconductor substrate through which current flows in a first direction during operation of the semiconductor device. The electrode is under either tensile or compressive stress in the first direction. The strain-inducing material either enhances or at least partly counteracts the stress of the electrode in the first direction. Methods of producing the semiconductor device are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Stefan Karner, Oliver Blank, Günter Denifl, Germano Galasso, Saurabh Roy, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Michael Stadtmueller
  • Patent number: 11721547
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate for an electrical silicon carbide device includes providing a silicon carbide dispenser wafer including a silicon face and a carbon face and depositing a silicon carbide epitaxial layer on the silicon face. Further, the method includes implanting ions with a predefined energy characteristic forming an implant zone within the epitaxial layer, so that the ions are implanted with an average depth within the epitaxial layer corresponding to a designated thickness of an epitaxial layer of the silicon carbide substrate to be manufactured. Furthermore, the method comprises bonding an acceptor wafer onto the epitaxial layer so that the epitaxial layer is arranged between the dispenser wafer and the acceptor wafer. Further, the epitaxial layer is split along the implant zone so that a silicon carbide substrate represented by the acceptor wafer with an epitaxial layer with the designated thickness is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Christian Hecht, Tobias Hoechbauer, Roland Rupp, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20230215729
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a metal silicide layer comprises performing laser thermal annealing of a surface region of a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate, exposing a surface of a thus obtained silicon layer, depositing a metal layer above the exposed silicon layer, and/or thermally treating a stack of layers, comprising the silicon layer and the metal layer, to form a metal silicide layer. Alternatively and/or additionally, the method may comprise depositing a silicon layer above a SiC substrate, depositing a metal layer, and/or performing laser thermal annealing of the SiC substrate and a stack of layers above the SiC substrate to form a metal silicide layer, wherein the stack of layers comprises the silicon layer and the metal layer. Moreover, a semiconductor device is described, comprising a SiC substrate, a metal silicide layer, and a polycrystalline layer in direct contact with the SiC substrate and the metal silicide layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim SCHULZE, Florian Markus GRASSE, Moriz JELINEK, Axel KÖNIG, Gregor LANGER, Bemhard LEITL, Kristijan Luka MLETSCHNIG, Werner SCHUSTEREDER
  • Patent number: 11688713
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor die package includes: providing a semiconductor transistor die, the semiconductor transistor die having a first contact pad on a first lower main face and/or a second contact pad on an upper main face; fabricating a frontside electrical conductor onto the second contact pad and a backside electrical conductor onto the first contact pad; and applying an encapsulant covering the semiconductor die and at least a portion of the electrical conductor, wherein the frontside electrical conductor and/or the backside electrical conductor is fabricated by laser-assisted structuring of a metallic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Edward Fuergut, Irmgard Escher-Poeppel, Martin Gruber, Ivan Nikitin, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20230178615
    Abstract: A power transistor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a gate trench extending into the semiconductor substrate, a transistor gate provided in the gate trench, and an insulating structure formed between the transistor gate and a side wall of the gate trench. The insulating structure is configured to electrically insulate the transistor gate from a channel region which extends along the side wall of the gate trench. The insulating structure includes a layer of piezoelectric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Saurabh Roy, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Oliver Blank, Josef Anton Moser, Thomas Aichinger
  • Patent number: 11652022
    Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor body having a front side and a backside and configured to conduct a load current between the front side and the backside; and a plurality of control cells configured to control the load current. Each control cell is at least partially included in the semiconductor body at the front side and includes a gate electrode that is electrically insulated from the semiconductor body by a gate insulation layer. The gate insulation layer is or includes a first boron nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Josef Schaetz, Dethard Peters, Stephan Pindl, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20230127556
    Abstract: A method of processing a semiconductor wafer includes: forming one or more epitaxial layers over a first main surface of the semiconductor wafer; forming one or more porous layers in the semiconductor wafer or in the one or more epitaxial layers, wherein the semiconductor wafer, the one or more epitaxial layers and the one or more porous layers collectively form a substrate; forming doped regions of a semiconductor device in the one or more epitaxial layers; and after forming the doped regions of the semiconductor device, separating a non-porous part of the semiconductor wafer from a remainder of the substrate along the one or more porous layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Bernhard Goller, Alexander Binter, Tobias Hoechbauer, Martin Huber, Iris Moder, Matteo Piccin, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: RE49546
    Abstract: A semiconductor body having first and second vertically spaced apart surfaces is formed. A gate trench that vertically extends from the first surface of the semiconductor body towards the second surface is formed. A gate electrode and a gate dielectric are formed in the gate trench. The gate dielectric electrically insulates the gate electrode from adjacent semiconductor material. A doped superjunction region vertically extending from a bottom of the gate trench towards the second surface of the semiconductor body is formed. The doped superjunction region includes first, second, and third doped pillars vertically extending from the first surface of the first semiconductor layer and directly adjoining one another. The second pillar is laterally centered between the first and third pillars and has an opposite conductivity type as the first and third pillars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Alice Pei-Shan Hsieh, Hans-Joachim Schulze