Patents by Inventor Kenji Kouno

Kenji Kouno 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: 8080853
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a vertical IGBT and a vertical free-wheeling diode in a semiconductor substrate. A plurality of base regions is disposed at a first-surface side portion of the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of collector regions and a plurality of cathode regions are alternately disposed in a second-surface side portion of the semiconductor substrate. The base regions include a plurality of regions where channels are provided when the vertical IGBT is in an operating state. The first-side portion of the semiconductor substrate include a plurality of IGBT regions each located between adjacent two of the channels, including one of the base regions electrically coupled with an emitter electrode, and being opposed to one of the cathode regions. The IGBT regions include a plurality of narrow regions and a plurality of wide regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio Tsuzuki, Hiromitsu Tanabe, Kenji Kouno
  • Patent number: 8072241
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a diode-built-in insulated-gate bipolar transistor having an insulated-gate bipolar transistor and a diode, which are disposed in the substrate, wherein the insulated-gate bipolar transistor includes a gate, and is driven with a driving signal input into the gate; and a feedback unit for detecting current passing through the diode. The driving signal is input from an external unit into the feedback unit. The feedback unit passes the driving signal to the gate of the insulated-gate bipolar transistor when the feedback unit detects no current through the diode, and the feedback unit stops passing the driving signal to the gate of the insulated-gate bipolar transistor when the feedback unit detects the current through the diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenji Kouno
  • Publication number: 20110260212
    Abstract: An insulated gate semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a drift layer on the substrate, a base layer on the drift layer, a ring-shaped gate trench dividing the base layer into a channel layer and a floating layer, an emitter region located in the channel layer to be in contact with a side surface of the gate trench, a well region located on the periphery of a cell area of the base layer and having a depth greater than a depth of the base layer, and a ring-shaped buffer trench located adjacent to and spaced from the gate trench in a length direction of the gate trench. An edge of the well region is located in an area enclosed by the buffer trench in the length direction of the gate trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio Tsuzuki, Kenji Kouno
  • Patent number: 8026572
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having plural active and passive elements on one semiconductor substrate is manufactured in the following cost effective manner even when the active and passive elements include double sided electrode elements. When the semiconductor substrate is divided into plural field areas, an insulation separation trench that penetrates the semiconductor substrate surrounds each of the field areas, and each of the either of the plural active elements or the plural passive elements. Further, each of the plural elements has a pair of power electrodes for power supply respectively disposed on each of both sides of the semiconductor substrate to serve as the double sided electrode elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Ozeki, Kenji Kouno, Tetsuo Fujii
  • Publication number: 20110193132
    Abstract: An insulated gate semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, channel regions, floating regions, an emitter region, a body region, a hole stopper layer, and an emitter electrode. The channel regions and the floating regions are repeatedly arranged such that at least one floating region is located between adjacent channel regions. The emitter region and the body region are located in a surface portion of each channel region. The body region is deeper than the emitter region. The hole stopper layer is located in each floating region to divide the floating region into a first region and a second region. The emitter electrode is electrically connected to the emitter region and the first region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Kouno, Yukio Tsuzuki
  • Publication number: 20100187567
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface. A main region and a sensing region are formed on the first surface side of the semiconductor substrate. A RC-IGBT is formed in the main region and a sensing element for passing electric currents proportional to electric currents flowing through the RC-IGBT is formed in the sensing region. A collector region and a cathode region of the sensing element are formed on the second surface side of the semiconductor substrate. The collector region is located directly below the sensing region in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate. The cathode region is not located directly below the sensing region in the thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Tanabe, Kenji Kouno, Yukio Tsuzuki, Shinji Amano
  • Publication number: 20100156506
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a vertical IGBT and a vertical free-wheeling diode in a semiconductor substrate. A plurality of base regions is disposed at a first-surface side portion of the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of collector regions and a plurality of cathode regions are alternately disposed in a second-surface side portion of the semiconductor substrate. The base regions include a plurality of regions where channels are provided when the vertical IGBT is in an operating state. The first-side portion of the semiconductor substrate include a plurality of IGBT regions each located between adjacent two of the channels, including one of the base regions electrically coupled with an emitter electrode, and being opposed to one of the cathode regions. The IGBT regions include a plurality of narrow regions and a plurality of wide regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio Tsuzuki, Hiromitsu Tanabe, Kenji Kouno
  • Patent number: 7728382
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a first conductive type layer; a plurality of IGBT regions, each of which provides an IGBT element; and a plurality of diode regions, each of which provides a diode element. The plurality of IGBT regions and the plurality of diode regions are alternately arranged in the substrate. Each diode region includes a Schottky contact region having a second conductive type. The Schottky contact region is configured to retrieve a minority carrier from the first conductive type layer. The Schottky contact region is disposed in a first surface portion of the first conductive type layer, and adjacent to the IGBT region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio Tsuzuki, Kenji Kouno
  • Publication number: 20100090248
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; an IGBT element including a collector region; a FWD element including a cathode region adjacent to the collector region; a base layer on the substrate; multiple trench gate structures including a gate electrode. The base layer is divided by the trench gate structures into multiple first and second regions. Each first region includes an emitter region contacting the gate electrode. Each first region together with the emitter region is electrically coupled with an emitter electrode. The first regions include collector side and cathode side first regions, and the second regions include collector side and cathode side second regions. At least a part of the cathode side second region is electrically coupled with the emitter electrode, and at least a part of the collector side second region has a floating potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenji Kouno
  • Patent number: 7692214
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; an IGBT cell; and a diode cell. The substrate includes a first layer on a first surface, second and third layers adjacently arranged on a second surface of the substrate and a fourth layer between the first layer and the second and third layers. The first layer provides a drift layer of the IGBT cell and the diode cell. The second layer provides a collector layer of the IGBT cell. The third layer provides one electrode connection layer of the diode cell. A resistivity ?1 and a thickness L1 of the first layer, a resistivity ?2 and a thickness L2 of the fourth layer, and a half of a minimum width W2 of the second layer on a substrate plane have a relationship of (?1/?2)×(L1·L2/W22)<1.6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihito Tokura, Yukio Tsuzuki, Kenji Kouno
  • Patent number: 7638202
    Abstract: A stretched polyamide film including at least one stretched layer made of a mixed resin containing a polyamide resin and a modified polyester-based elastomer Y. The polyamide resin X is mainly constituted by m-xylylenediamine unit and C6-12 ?,?-aliphatic dicarboxylic acid unit. The modified polyester-based elastomer is graft-modified with an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid or its anhydride. Such stretched polyamide film is drastically improved in the flexibility, impact resistance and pin-hole resistance with little reduction in the gas-barrier properties while retaining an enough transparency to practical use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc., Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nanba, Kenji Kouno, Atsushi Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20090242931
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a substrate; an active element cell area including IGBT cell region and a diode cell region; a first semiconductor region on a first side of the substrate in the active element cell area; a second semiconductor region on a second side of the substrate in the IGBT cell region; a third semiconductor region on the second side in the diode cell region; a fourth semiconductor region on the first side surrounding the active element cell area; a fifth semiconductor region on the first side surrounding the fourth semiconductor region; and a sixth semiconductor region on the second side below the fourth semiconductor region. The second semiconductor region, the third semiconductor region and the sixth semiconductor region are electrically coupled with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio Tsuzuki, Kenji Kouno
  • Publication number: 20090108288
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate that includes a plurality of section having different thicknesses. The sections include a first section having a first thickness and a second section having a second thickness, the second section is the thinnest section among all the sections, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness. A plurality of isolation trenches penetrates the semiconductor substrate for defining a plurality of element-forming regions in the first section and the second section. A plurality of elements is located at respective ones of the plurality of element-forming regions. The elements include a double-sided electrode element that includes a pair of electrodes separately disposed on the first surface and the second surface, and the double-sided electrode element is located in the second section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Ozeki, Tetsuo Fujii, Kenji Kouno
  • Publication number: 20090072339
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a first conductive type layer; a plurality of IGBT regions, each of which provides an IGBT element; and a plurality of diode regions, each of which provides a diode element. The plurality of IGBT regions and the plurality of diode regions are alternately arranged in the substrate. Each diode region includes a Schottky contact region having a second conductive type. The Schottky contact region is configured to retrieve a minority carrier from the first conductive type layer. The Schottky contact region is disposed in a first surface portion of the first conductive type layer, and adjacent to the IGBT region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio Tsuzuki, Kenji Kouno
  • Publication number: 20090057832
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a diode-built-in insulated-gate bipolar transistor having an insulated-gate bipolar transistor and a diode, which are disposed in the substrate, wherein the insulated-gate bipolar transistor includes a gate, and is driven with a driving signal input into the gate; and a feedback unit for detecting current passing through the diode. The driving signal is input from an external unit into the feedback unit. The feedback unit passes the driving signal to the gate of the insulated-gate bipolar transistor when the feedback unit detects no current through the diode, and the feedback unit stops passing the driving signal to the gate of the insulated-gate bipolar transistor when the feedback unit detects the current through the diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenji Kouno
  • Publication number: 20080315248
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; an IGBT cell; and a diode cell. The substrate includes a first layer on a first surface, second and third layers adjacently arranged on a second surface of the substrate and a fourth layer between the first layer and the second and third layers. The first layer provides a drift layer of the IGBT cell and the diode cell. The second layer provides a collector layer of the IGBT cell. The third layer provides one electrode connection layer of the diode cell. A resistivity ?1 and a thickness L1 of the first layer, a resistivity ?2 and a thickness L2 of the fourth layer, and a half of a minimum width W2 of the second layer on a substrate plane have a relationship of (?1/?2)×(L1·L2/W22)<1.6.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihito Tokura, Yukio Tsuzuki, Kenji Kouno
  • Publication number: 20080135932
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having plural active and passive elements on one semiconductor substrate is manufactured in the following cost effective manner even when the active and passive elements include double sided electrode elements. When the semiconductor substrate is divided into plural field areas, an insulation separation trench that penetrates the semiconductor substrate surrounds each of the field areas, and each of the either of the plural active elements or the plural passive elements. Further, each of the plural elements has a pair of power electrodes for power supply respectively disposed on each of both sides of the semiconductor substrate to serve as the double sided electrode elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Ozeki, Kenji Kouno, Tetsuo Fujii
  • Publication number: 20080081202
    Abstract: A method of producing a biaxially stretched, multi-layered polyamide film which includes a step of biaxially stretching a non-stretched laminate film composed of a layer mainly made of a polyamide resin and a layer mainly made of an aliphatic polyamide resin. The biaxial stretching is made by a roll/tenter successive biaxial stretching method. The polyamide resin is composed of a diamine constitutional unit mainly made of m-xylylenediamine units and a dicarboxylic acid constitutional unit mainly made of units derived from an ?,?-aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having 6 to 12 carbon atoms. The non-stretched laminate film is cooled by a cooling roll having a temperature within a limited range and then successively and biaxially stretched. With such a production method, the biaxially stretched, multi-layered polyamide film is excellent in the gas barrier properties, pinhole resistance, flexibility, and impact resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroyuki NANBA, Kenji Kouno, Makoto Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20070065673
    Abstract: A stretched polyamide film including at least one stretched layer made of a mixed resin containing a polyamide resin and a modified polyester-based elastomer Y. The polyamide resin X is mainly constituted by m-xylylenediamine unit and C6-12 ?,?-aliphatic dicarboxylic acid unit. The modified polyester-based elastomer is graft-modified with an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid or its anhydride. Such stretched polyamide film is drastically improved in the flexibility, impact resistance and pin-hole resistance with little reduction in the gas-barrier properties while retaining an enough transparency to practical use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nanba, Kenji Kouno, Atsushi Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20060277149
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic clearing system which electronically processes and clears a valuable instrument including a substrate and prescribed information printed on the substrate. The system has: an electronic clearing server; a payor's bank terminal which is installed in a payor's bank, and originally issues the valuable instrument; a payee's bank terminal which is installed in a payee's bank and to which the valuable instrument is presented; and an electronic network which electronically connects the electronic clearing server with each of the payor's bank terminal and the payee's bank terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Kouno, Hirofumi Nakagawa, Haruhiko Kasuya, Takashi Hanazato