Patents by Inventor Michael Briere

Michael Briere 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).

  • Publication number: 20130299878
    Abstract: According to an exemplary implementation, a transistor includes drain finger electrodes interdigitated with source finger electrodes. The transistor also includes a current conduction path in a semiconductor substrate between the drain finger electrodes and the source finger electrodes. At least one of the drain finger electrodes has a drain finger electrode end and a drain finger electrode main body, where the drain finger electrode main body is non-coplaner with at least a portion of the drain finger electrode end. The transistor may also include a dielectric material situated between at least a portion of the drain finger electrode end and the semiconductor substrate. The dielectric material can be an increasing thickness dielectric material. The dielectric material can thus elevate the drain finger electrode end over the semiconductor substrate. Further, the drain finger electrode end can have an increased radius of curvature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Inventors: Michael A. Briere, Reenu Garg
  • Publication number: 20130292694
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a III-nitride transistor includes a conduction channel formed between first and second III-nitride bodies, the conduction channel including a two-dimensional electron gas. The transistor also includes at least one gate dielectric layer having a charge confined within to cause an interrupted region of the conduction channel and a gate electrode operable to restore the interrupted region of the conduction channel. The transistor can be an enhancement mode transistor. In one embodiment, the gate dielectric layer is a silicon nitride layer. In another embodiment, the at least one gate dielectric layer is a silicon oxide layer. The charge can be ion implanted into the at least one gate dielectric layer. The at least one gate dielectric layer can also be grown with the charge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Patent number: 8564124
    Abstract: A semiconductor package that includes a semiconductor die and a heat spreader thermally coupled to the semiconductor and disposed at least partially within the molded housing of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Briere, Chuan Cheah, Kunzhong Hu
  • Patent number: 8557644
    Abstract: According to one disclosed embodiment, a monolithic vertically integrated composite device comprises a double sided semiconductor substrate having first and second sides, a group IV semiconductor layer formed over the first side and comprising at least one group IV semiconductor device, and a group III-V semiconductor body formed over the second side and comprising at least one group III-V semiconductor device electrically coupled to the at least one group IV semiconductor device. The composite device may further comprise a substrate via and/or a through-wafer via providing electric coupling. In one embodiment, the group IV semiconductor layer may comprise an epitaxial silicon layer, and the at least one group IV semiconductor device may be a combined FET and Schottky diode (FETKY) fabricated on the epitaxial silicon layer. In one embodiment, the at least one group III-V semiconductor device may be a III-nitride high electron mobility transistor (HEMT).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Publication number: 20130256694
    Abstract: A III-nitride semiconductor device which includes a charged gate insulation body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Publication number: 20130240898
    Abstract: In one implementation, a group III-V and group IV composite switch includes a group IV transistor in a lower active die, the group IV transistor having a source and a gate situated on a bottom side of the lower active die. The group III-V and group IV composite switch also includes a group III-V transistor in an upper active die stacked over the lower active die, the group III-V transistor having a drain, a source, and a gate situated on a top side of the upper active die. The source of the group III-V transistor is electrically coupled to a drain of the group IV transistor using a through-semiconductor via (TSV) of the upper active die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Briere, Tim McDonald
  • Patent number: 8536624
    Abstract: A III-nitride heterojunction power semiconductor device that includes a passivation body with a gate well having a top mouth that is wider than the bottom mouth thereof, and a method of fabrication for the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Briere, Paul Bridger, Jianjun Cao
  • Patent number: 8530938
    Abstract: According to one disclosed embodiment, a method for fabricating a monolithic integrated composite device comprises forming a group III-V semiconductor body over a group IV semiconductor substrate, forming a trench in the group III-V semiconductor body, and forming a group IV semiconductor body in the trench. The method also comprises fabricating at least one group IV semiconductor device in the group IV semiconductor body, and fabricating at least one group III-V semiconductor device in the group III-V semiconductor body. In one embodiment, the method further comprises planarizing an upper surface of the III-V semiconductor body and an upper surface of the group IV semiconductor body to render those respective upper surfaces substantially coplanar. In one embodiment, the method further comprises fabricating at least one passive device in a defective region of said group IV semiconductor body adjacent to a sidewall of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Patent number: 8482035
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a III-nitride transistor includes a conduction channel formed between first and second III-nitride bodies, the conduction channel including a two-dimensional electron gas. The transistor also includes at least one gate dielectric layer having a charge confined within to cause an interrupted region of the conduction channel and a gate electrode operable to restore the interrupted region of the conduction channel. The transistor can be an enhancement mode transistor. In one embodiment, the gate dielectric layer is a silicon nitride layer. In another embodiment, the at least one gate dielectric layer is a silicon oxide layer. The charge can be ion implanted into the at least one gate dielectric layer. The at least one gate dielectric layer can also be grown with the charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Patent number: 8476885
    Abstract: A power arrangement that includes a monolithically integrated III-nitride power stage having III-nitride power switches and III-nitride driver switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Patent number: 8455922
    Abstract: A III-nitride semiconductor device which includes a charged gate insulation body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Publication number: 20130069208
    Abstract: There are disclosed herein various implementations of a semiconductor structure and method. The semiconductor structure comprises a substrate, a transition body over the substrate, and a group III-V intermediate body having a bottom surface over the transition body. The semiconductor structure also includes a group III-V device layer over a top surface of the group III-V intermediate body. The group III-V intermediate body has a continuously reduced impurity concentration wherein a higher impurity concentration at the bottom surface is continuously reduced to a lower impurity concentration at the top surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Patent number: 8399912
    Abstract: Some exemplary embodiments of a III-nitride power device including a HEMT with multiple interconnect metal layers and a solderable front metal structure using solder bars for external circuit connections have been disclosed. The solderable front metal structure may comprise a tri-metal such as TiNiAg, and may be configured to expose source and drain contacts of the HEMT as alternating elongated digits or bars. Additionally, a single package may integrate multiple such HEMTs wherein the front metal structures expose alternating interdigitated source and drain contacts, which may be advantageous for DC-DC power conversion circuit designs using III-nitride devices. By using solder bars for external circuit connections, lateral conduction is enabled, thereby advantageously reducing device Rdson.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Chuan Cheah, Michael A. Briere
  • Patent number: 8395132
    Abstract: A method that includes implantation of dopants while a III-nitride body is being grown on a substrate, and an apparatus for the practice of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A Briere
  • Publication number: 20130015501
    Abstract: There are disclosed herein various implementations of nested composite diodes. In one implementation, a nested composite diode includes a primary transistor coupled to a composite diode. The composite diode includes a low voltage (LV) diode cascoded with an intermediate transistor having a breakdown voltage greater than the LV diode and less than the primary transistor. In one implementation, the primary transistor may be a group III-V transistor and the LV diode may be an LV group IV diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Publication number: 20130015499
    Abstract: There are disclosed herein various implementations of composite semiconductor devices. In one implementation, such a composite semiconductor device includes a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate including a diode and an insulator layer. The composite semiconductor device also includes a transition body formed over the diode, and a transistor formed over the transition body. The diode is connected across the transistor using through-semiconductor vias, external electrical connectors, or a combination of the two.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Publication number: 20130015905
    Abstract: There are disclosed herein various implementations of nested composite switches. In one implementation, a nested composite switch includes a normally ON primary transistor coupled to a composite switch. The composite switch includes a low voltage (LV) transistor cascoded with an intermediate transistor having a breakdown voltage greater than the LV transistor and less than the normally ON primary transistor. In one implementation, the normally on primary transistor may be a group III-V transistor and the LV transistor may be an LV group IV transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Publication number: 20130015498
    Abstract: There are disclosed herein various implementations of composite semiconductor devices. In one implementation, such a composite semiconductor device includes a transition body formed over a diode, the transition body including more than one semiconductor layer. The composite semiconductor device also includes a transistor formed over the transition body. The diode may be connected across the transistor using through-semiconductor vias, external electrical connectors, or a combination of the two.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere
  • Patent number: 8338861
    Abstract: A III-nitride heterojunction power semiconductor device that includes a passivation body with a gate well having a top mouth that is wider than the bottom mouth thereof, and a method of fabrication for the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Briere, Paul Bridger, Jianjun Cao
  • Publication number: 20120293147
    Abstract: A power arrangement that includes a monolithically integrated III-nitride power stage having III-nitride power switches and III-nitride driver switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventor: Michael A. Briere