Patents by Inventor John Rothgeb Fruth

John Rothgeb Fruth 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: 6011280
    Abstract: A semiconductor power device (100) that includes active cells in an interior region of an epitaxial layer (16) on a semiconductor substrate (12), and an edge termination structure that surrounds the cells and separates the cells from the die edge (48). A polysilicon layer (26) overlies and is electrically insulated from the epitaxial layer (16), a gate metal field plate (36) contacts the polysilicon layer (26), and a portion of the polysilicon layer (26) forms a gate for each cell. Each of the active cells also has a collector/anode terminal formed by the substrate (12), an emitter/cathode terminal formed by a well (18), emitter diffusion (20) and emitter metal (22), and a base formed by the epitaxial layer (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: John Rothgeb Fruth, Stephen Paul Barlow, Jerral Alan Long, Michael Joseph Huemmer
  • Patent number: 5959345
    Abstract: A semiconductor power device (100) that includes a number of bipolar or FET power devices (116), an over-voltage clamp (118), and an edge termination structure (110) that separates the power devices (116) and the over-voltage clamp (118). The power devices (116) are formed in an interior region (100a) of a semiconductor substrate (128), while the over-voltage clamp (118) is formed in a peripheral region (100b) of the substrate. The over-voltage clamp (118) and the gate/base terminals of the power devices (116) are formed in a polysilicon layer (126) overlying the substrate (128), such that the over-voltage clamp (118) is connected between the anode and gate/base terminals of each power device (116) to provide over-voltage protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: John Rothgeb Fruth, Stephen Paul Barlow, Donald Ray Disney
  • Patent number: 5736755
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices having emitters having resistive emitter diffusion sections are in a radial pattern. Such devices include vertical PNP power devices. The radial pattern of holes defines resistive emitter diffusion sections between adjacent holes. The resistive emitter diffusion sections result in a lower emitter ballast resistance due to the higher emitter sheet resistance of PNP devices. This allows all the periphery of the emitter to be active, not just two sides. The device has improved emitter ballast resistance while at the same time remaining efficient with low saturation resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: John Rothgeb Fruth, John Kevin Kaszyca, Mark Wendell Gose