Patents by Inventor Masataka Yanagihara

Masataka Yanagihara 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: 8704207
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate, an aluminum nitride layer which is arranged on the silicon substrate and has a region where silicon is doped thereof as an impurity, a buffer layer which is arranged on the aluminum nitride layer and has a structure where a plurality of nitride semiconductor films are laminated, and a semiconductor functional layer which is arranged on the buffer layer and made of nitride semiconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Yanagihara, Tetsuji Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8530935
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a buffer layer, and a compound semiconductor layer. The buffer layer is configured by laminating two or more pairs of a first buffer and a second buffer. The first buffer is formed by laminating one or more pairs of an AlN layer and a GaN layer. The second buffer is formed of a GaN layer. A total Al composition of a pair of the first buffer and the second buffer on the compound semiconductor layer side is higher than that of a pair of the first buffer and the second buffer on the substrate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masataka Yanagihara
  • Publication number: 20120326160
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate, an aluminum nitride layer which is arranged on the silicon substrate and has a region where silicon is doped thereof as an impurity, a buffer layer which is arranged on the aluminum nitride layer and has a structure where a plurality of nitride semiconductor films are laminated, and a semiconductor functional layer which is arranged on the buffer layer and made of nitride semiconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka YANAGIHARA, Tetsuji MATSUO
  • Publication number: 20120261716
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a buffer layer, and a compound semiconductor layer. The buffer layer is configured by laminating two or more pairs of a first buffer and a second buffer. The first buffer is formed by laminating one or more pairs of an AlN layer and a GaN layer. The second buffer is formed of a GaN layer. A total Al composition of a pair of the first buffer and the second buffer on the compound semiconductor layer side is higher than that of a pair of the first buffer and the second buffer on the substrate side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masataka YANAGIHARA
  • Patent number: 7745850
    Abstract: A high electron mobility transistor is disclosed which has a triple-layered main semiconductor region formed on a silicon substrate via a multilayered buffer region. The multilayered buffer region is in the form of alternations of an aluminum nitride layer and a gallium nitride layer. Whilst the aluminum nitride layers are of n-like conductivity, the gallium nitride layers are doped into p-type conductivity, with the consequent creation of pn junctions between the two kinds of buffer layers. Another pn junction is formed between one p-type gallium nitride layer and the adjoining n-like electron transit layer included in the main semiconductor region. The pn junctions serve for reduction of current leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Otsuka, Emiko Chino, Masataka Yanagihara
  • Patent number: 7652282
    Abstract: A main semiconductor region of semiconducting nitrides is formed on a silicon substrate via a buffer region of semiconducting nitrides to provide devices such as HEMTs, MESFETs and LEDs. In order to render the wafer proof against warping, the buffer region is divided into a first and a second multilayered buffer subregion. The first buffer subregion comprises multiple alterations of a multi-sublayered first buffer layer and a non-sublayered second buffer layer. Each multi-sublayered first buffer layer of the first buffer subregion comprises multiple alternations of a first and a second buffer sublayer. The second buffer sublayers of each multi-sublayered first buffer layer either do not contain aluminum or do contain it in a higher proportion than do the first buffer sublayers. The second multilayered buffer subregion comprises multiple alternations of a first and a second buffer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masataka Yanagihara
  • Patent number: 7569870
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having nitride semiconductor layers has a buffer layer (2) in the form of alternations of a first sublayer (8) of AlN and a second layer (9) of GaN with interposition of a third layer (10) of p-type GaN therebetween. On this buffer layer there is grown a main semiconductor region (3) having nitride semiconductor layers for providing a high-electron-mobility transistor or the like. From 0.5 to 50.0 nanometers thick, the third sublayers (10) of the buffer layer restrict the generation of two-dimensional electron gas and so prevent the buffer layer from becoming unnecessarily low in resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Yanagihara, Masahiro Sato, Tetsuji Moku
  • Patent number: 7518154
    Abstract: A substrate system of the kind having a buffer region interposed between a silicon substrate proper and a nitride semiconductor region in order to make up for a difference in linear expansion coefficient therebetween. Electrodes are formed on the nitride semiconductor layer or layers in order to provide HEMTs or MESFETs. The buffer region is a lamination of a multiplicity of buffer layers each comprising a first, a second, and a third buffer sublayer of nitride semiconductors, in that order from the silicon substrate proper toward the nitride semiconductor region. The three sublayers of each buffer layer contain aluminum in varying proportions including zero. The aluminum proportion of the third buffer sublayer is either zero or intermediate that of the first buffer sublayer and that of the second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Otsuka, Masataka Yanagihara, Nobuo Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20080203382
    Abstract: A main semiconductor region of semiconducting nitrides is formed on a silicon substrate via a buffer region of semiconducting nitrides to provide devices such as HEMTs, MESFETs and LEDs. In order to render the wafer proof against warping, the buffer region is divided into a first and a second multilayered buffer subregion. The first buffer subregion comprises multiple alterations of a multi-sublayered first buffer layer and a non-sublayered second buffer layer. Each multi-sublayered first buffer layer of the first buffer subregion comprises multiple alternations of a first and a second buffer sublayer. The second buffer sublayers of each multi-sublayered first buffer layer either do not contain aluminum or do contain it in a higher proportion than do the first buffer sublayers. The second multilayered buffer subregion comprises multiple alternations of a first and a second buffer layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: SANKEN ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masataka Yanagihara
  • Publication number: 20070228401
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having: a substrate; nitride-based compound semiconductor layers formed on one main surface of the substrate and made of a nitride-based compound semiconductor; a first electrode formed on the nitride-based compound semiconductor layers and having a Schottky junction with the nitride-based compound semiconductor layers; and a second electrode formed on the nitride-based compound semiconductor layers and subjected to low resistance contact with the nitride-based compound semiconductor layers, wherein the first electrode and substrate are electrically connected through a connection conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Osamu Machida, Masataka Yanagihara, Shinichi Iwakami, Mio Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20070196993
    Abstract: A Schottky diode includes a substrate, a channel layer formed on the substrate and made of nitride-based compound semiconductor, an anode electrode and a cathode electrode which constitute an end portion of the current path of the semiconductor element, and a dummy electrode electrically connected to the substrate. The anode electrode is formed to have a Schottky barrier junction with the channel layer. The cathode layer is formed to have a low-resistance contact with the channel layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventors: Shinichi Iwakami, Osamu Machida, Masataka Yanagihara
  • Publication number: 20060118824
    Abstract: A high electron mobility transistor is disclosed which has a triple-layered main semiconductor region formed on a silicon substrate via a multilayered buffer region. The multilayered buffer region is in the form of alternations of an aluminum nitride layer and a gallium nitride layer. Whilst the aluminum nitride layers are of n-like conductivity, the gallium nitride layers are doped into p-type conductivity, with the consequent creation of pn junctions between the two kinds of buffer layers. Another pn junction is formed between one p-type gallium nitride layer and the adjoining n-like electron transit layer included in the main semiconductor region. The pn junctions serve for reduction of current leakage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Otsuka, Emiko Chino, Masataka Yanagihara
  • Patent number: 6979844
    Abstract: A low-resistance silicon baseplate (11) has formed thereon a buffer layer 12 in the form of an alternating lamination of AlN sublayers (12a) and GaN sublayers (12b). On this buffer layer there are formed an n-type semiconductor region (13) of gallium nitride, an active layer (14) of gallium indium nitride, and a p-type semiconductor region (15) of gallium nitride, in that order. An anode (17) is formed on the p-type semiconductor region (15), and a cathode (18) on the baseplate (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuji Moku, Kohji Ohtsuka, Masataka Yanagihara, Masaaki Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20050263791
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having nitride semiconductor layers has a buffer layer (2) in the form of alternations of a first sublayer (8) of AlN and a second layer (9) of GaN with interposition of a third layer (10) of p-type GaN therebetween. On this buffer layer there is grown a main semiconductor region (3) having nitride semiconductor layers for providing a high-electron-mobility transistor or the like. From 0.5 to 50.0 nanometers thick, the third sublayers (10) of the buffer layer restrict the generation of two-dimensional electron gas and so prevent the buffer layer from becoming unnecessarily low in resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicant: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Yanagihara, Masahiro Sato, Tetsuji Moku
  • Publication number: 20050247948
    Abstract: A low-resistance silicon baseplate (11) has formed thereon a buffer layer 12 in the form of an alternating lamination of AlN sublayers (12a) and GaN sublayers (12b). On this buffer layer there are formed an n-type semiconductor region (13) of gallium nitride, an active layer (14) of gallium indium nitride, and a p-type semiconductor region (15) of galliumnitride, in that order. An anode (17) is formed on the p-type semiconductor region (15), and a cathode (18) on the baseplate (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Inventors: Tetsuji Moku, Kohji Ohtsuka, Masataka Yanagihara, Masaaki Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20050110043
    Abstract: A substrate system of the kind having a buffer region interposed between a silicon substrate proper and a nitride semiconductor region in order to make up for a difference in linear expansion coefficient therebetween. Electrodes are formed on the nitride semiconductor layer or layers in order to provide HEMTs or MESFETs. The buffer region is a lamination of a multiplicity of buffer layers each comprising a first, a second, and a third buffer sublayer of nitride semiconductors, in that order from the silicon substrate proper toward the nitride semiconductor region. The three sublayers of each buffer layer contain aluminum in varying proportions including zero. The aluminum proportion of the third buffer sublayer is either zero or intermediate that of the first buffer sublayer and that of the second.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventors: Koji Otsuka, Masataka Yanagihara, Nobuo Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20030183835
    Abstract: A low-resistance silicon baseplate (11) has formed thereon a buffer layer 12 in the form of an alternating lamination of AlN sublayers (12a) and GaN sublayers (12b). On this buffer layer there are formed an n-type semiconductor region (13) of gallium nitride, an active layer (14) of gallium indium nitride, and a p-type semiconductor region (15) of galliumnitride, in that order. An anode (17) is formed on the p-type semiconductor region (15), and a cathode (18) on the baseplate (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Tetsuji Moku, Kohji Ohtsuka, Masataka Yanagihara, Masaaki Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20020158253
    Abstract: A low-resistance silicon baseplate (11) has formed thereon a buffer layer 12 in the form of an altering lamination of AlN sublayers (12a) and GaN sublayers (12b). On this buffer layer there are formed an n-type semiconductor region (13) of gallium nitride, an active layer (14) of gallium indium nitride, and a p-type semiconductor region (15) of gallium nitride, in that order. An anode (17) is formed on the p-type semiconductor region (15), and a cathode (18) on the baseplate (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Tetsuji Moku, Kohji Ohtsuka, Masataka Yanagihara, Masaaki Kikuchi