Patents by Inventor Oliver Blank

Oliver Blank 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: 20160178670
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a main transistor and a sense transistor. The main transistor is disposed in a semiconductor body and includes a plurality of sections which are individually controllable via separate gate electrodes disposed above the semiconductor body. The sense transistor is disposed in the same semiconductor body as the main transistor and has the same number of individually controllable sections as the main transistor. Each individually controllable section of the sense transistor is configured to mirror current flowing through one of the individually controllable sections of the main transistor and is connected to the same gate electrode as that individually controllable section of the main transistor. An electronic circuit that includes the semiconductor device and a current sense circuit that outputs a current sense signal representing the current mirrored by the sense transistor is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Giuseppe Bernacchia, Riccardo Pittassi, Oliver Blank
  • Patent number: 9356141
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a semiconductor device including a semiconductor body, having a first surface, a gate electrode structure, which includes polycrystalline silicon, of an IGFET in a first trench extending from the first surface into the semiconductor body. The device also includes a semiconductor element, which is different from the gate electrode structure of the IGFET and includes polycrystalline silicon, in a second trench extending from the first surface into the semiconductor body, wherein the polycrystalline silicon of the IGFET and of the semiconductor element different therefrom ends below a top side of an insulation layer adjoining the first surface of the semiconductor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Andrew Christopher Graeme Wood, Oliver Blank, Martin Poelzl, Martin Vielemeyer
  • Publication number: 20160149028
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate has a main surface and a rear surface vertically spaced apart from the main surface, a first doped region, a second doped region and a third doped region. The third doped region is interposed between the first and second doped regions beneath the main surface. Field plate trenches having field plates vertically extend from the main surface to a bottom that is arranged in the first doped region. A gate trench having a gate electrode vertically extends from the main surface to the first doped region. A compensation zone vertically extends from the bottom of the gate trench deeper into the first doped region. The compensation zone is laterally aligned with the gate trench and is adjacent to the field plates along a cross-sectional plane of the device that is parallel to the main surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Minghao Jin, Li Juin Yip, Oliver Blank, Martin Vielemeyer, Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 9324817
    Abstract: A method for forming a transistor device includes forming a field electrode arrangement by forming a trench in a first surface of a semiconductor body, forming a protection layer on sidewalls of the trench in an upper trench section, forming a dielectric layer on a bottom of the trench and on sidewall sections uncovered by the protection layer, and forming a field electrode at least on the dielectric layer. The method further includes forming a gate electrode and a gate electrode dielectric horizontally spaced apart from the field electrode arrangement with respect to the first surface, forming a body region adjacent the gate electrode and dielectrically insulated from the gate electrode by the gate dielectric, and forming a source region in the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank
  • Patent number: 9324823
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a first surface vertically spaced apart from a second surface. A first trench vertically extends into the semiconductor body from the first surface and includes first and second sidewalls extending across the semiconductor body in a lateral direction that is parallel to the first surface. A field electrode is arranged in first trench and electrically insulated from the semiconductor body by a field dielectric. A first gate electrode is arranged in the first trench. The first gate electrode is electrically insulated from the field electrode by the field dielectric and is electrically insulated from the semiconductor body by a first gate oxide. The first gate electrode includes widened and tapered portions that are continuously connected and adjacent to one another in the lateral direction. The first gate oxide forms a non-perpendicular angle with the first sidewall in the lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Oliver Blank, Rudolf Rothmaler, Christof Altstaetter, Minghao Jin
  • Publication number: 20160111504
    Abstract: First trenches extend from a process surface into a semiconductor layer. An alignment layer with mask pits in a with respect to the process surface vertical projection of the first trenches is formed on the process surface. Sidewalls of the mask pits have a smaller tilt angle with respect to the process surface than sidewalls of the first trenches. The mask pits are filled with an auxiliary material. A gate trench for a gate structure is formed in a mesa section of the semiconductor layer between the first trenches, wherein the auxiliary material is used as an etch mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Martin Poelzl, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Maximilian Roesch, Li Juin Yip
  • Publication number: 20160079238
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes field electrode structures extending in a direction vertical to a first surface in a semiconductor body. Cell mesas are formed from portions of the semiconductor body between the field electrode structures and include body zones that form first pn junctions with a drift zone. Gate structures between the field electrode structures control a current flow through the body zones. Auxiliary diode structures with a forward voltage lower than the first pn junctions are electrically connected in parallel with the first pn junctions, wherein semiconducting portions of the auxiliary diode structures are formed in the cell mesas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Martin Henning Vielemeyer
  • Publication number: 20160079376
    Abstract: According to an embodiment a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a mesa section that may include a rectifying structure and a first drift zone section. The mesa section surrounds a field electrode structure that includes a field electrode and a field dielectric sandwiched between the field electrode and the semiconductor body. A maximum horizontal extension of the field electrode in a measure plane parallel to a first surface of the semiconductor body is at most 500 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Oliver Blank, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Publication number: 20160064477
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate structure comprising a cell region and an edge termination region surrounding the cell region. Further it comprises a plurality of needle-shaped cell trenches within the cell region reaching from a surface of the semiconductor substrate structure into the substrate structure and an edge termination trench within the edge termination region surrounding the cell region at the surface of the semiconductor substrate structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec, Li Juin Yip
  • Publication number: 20160064496
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a field electrode structure with a field electrode and a field dielectric surrounding the field electrode. A semiconductor body includes a transistor section surrounding the field electrode structure and including a source zone, a first drift zone section and a body zone separating the source zone and the first drift zone section. The body zone forms a first pn junction with the source zone and a second pn junction with the first drift zone section. A gate structure surrounds the field electrode structure and includes a gate electrode and a gate dielectric separating the gate electrode and the body zone. A contact structure directly adjoins the source and body zones and surrounds the field electrode structure equably with respect to the field electrode structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Michael Hutzler, David Laforet, Cedric Ouvrard, Li Juin Yip
  • Publication number: 20160064547
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes field electrode structures regularly arranged in lines in a cell area and forming a first portion of a regular pattern. Termination structures are formed in an inner edge area surrounding the cell area, wherein at least portions of the termination structures form a second portion of the regular pattern. Cell mesas separate neighboring ones of the field electrode structures from each other in the cell area and include first portions of a drift zone, wherein a voltage applied to a gate electrode controls a current flow through the cell mesas. At least one doped region forms a homojunction with the drift zone in the inner edge area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Michael Hutzler, Martin Poelzl
  • Publication number: 20160049486
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a first surface vertically spaced apart from a second surface. A first trench vertically extends into the semiconductor body from the first surface and includes first and second sidewalls extending across the semiconductor body in a lateral direction that is parallel to the first surface. A field electrode is arranged in first trench and electrically insulated from the semiconductor body by a field dielectric. A first gate electrode is arranged in the first trench. The first gate electrode is electrically insulated from the field electrode by the field dielectric and is electrically insulated from the semiconductor body by a first gate oxide. The first gate electrode includes widened and tapered portions that are continuously connected and adjacent to one another in the lateral direction. The first gate oxide forms a non-perpendicular angle with the first sidewall in the lateral direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Oliver Blank, Rudolf Rothmaler, Christof Altstaetter, Minghao Jin
  • Patent number: 9252251
    Abstract: A semiconductor component is disclosed. One embodiment includes a semiconductor body including a first semiconductor layer having at least one active component zone, a cell array with a plurality of trenches, and at least one cell array edge zone. The cell array edge zone is only arranged in an edge region of the cell array, adjoining at least one trench of the cell array, and being at least partially arranged below the at least one trench in the cell array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec, Christian Geissler, Oliver Blank, Maximilian Roesch
  • Publication number: 20160020319
    Abstract: A power MOSFET includes a gate electrode in a gate trench in a main surface of a semiconductor substrate, the gate trench extending parallel to the main surface. The power MOSFET further includes a field electrode in a field plate trench in the main surface. The field plate trench has an extension length in a first direction which is less than double and more than half of an extension length of the field plate trench in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first and the second directions being parallel to the main surface. The gate electrode includes a gate electrode material which comprises a metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: David Laforet, Oliver Blank, Michael Hutzler, Cedric Ouvrard, Ralf Siemieniec, Li Juin Yip
  • Publication number: 20160013280
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode adjacent to a body region in a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a field electrode in a field plate trench in the main surface, the field plate trench having an extension length in a first direction parallel to a main surface. The extension length is less than the double of an extension length in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction parallel to the main surface. The extension length in the first direction is more than half of the extension length in the second direction. The field electrode is insulated from an adjacent drift zone by means of a field dielectric layer. A field plate material of the field electrode has a resistivity in a range from 105 to 10?1 Ohm·cm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: David Laforet, Franz Hirler, Oliver Blank, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Publication number: 20150349056
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a central portion and an edge termination portion outside the central portion. The central portion includes a transistor cell array in a semiconductor substrate. Components of transistor cells of the transistor cell array are disposed in adjacent trench structures in the semiconductor substrate. The trench structures run in a first linear direction parallel to a main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The trench structures include a plurality of concatenated trench segments in a plane parallel to the main surface in the central portion, at least one of the trench segments connecting a first point and a second point of one trench structure, the first point and the second point being arranged along the first linear direction. The trench segment comprises a portion extending in a direction different from the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Minghao Jin, Rudolf Rothmaler, Oliver Blank, Joerg Ortner
  • Patent number: 9190480
    Abstract: A semiconductor body has a first surface, a second opposing surface, an edge, an active device region, and an edge termination region. A trench extends from the first surface into the semiconductor body in the edge termination region and includes sidewalls and an insulated electrode. A first conductivity type doped region extends from the first surface into the semiconductor body in the edge termination region and has a planar outer surface along the first surface that adjoins the trench at a corner of the trench sidewall and the first surface and has a side surface extending from the corner along the trench sidewall. A first interconnect contacts the trench electrode. A second interconnect contacts the outer surface and the side surface. A contact couples the first doped region to the trench electrode and has a bottom surface coplanar with the first surface from a contact edge to the corner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Li Juin Yip, Oliver Blank
  • Publication number: 20150318361
    Abstract: A method for forming a transistor device includes forming a field electrode arrangement by forming a trench in a first surface of a semiconductor body, forming a protection layer on sidewalls of the trench in an upper trench section, forming a dielectric layer on a bottom of the trench and on sidewall sections uncovered by the protection layer, and forming a field electrode at least on the dielectric layer. The method further includes forming a gate electrode and a gate electrode dielectric horizontally spaced apart from the field electrode arrangement with respect to the first surface, forming a body region adjacent the gate electrode and dielectrically insulated from the gate electrode by the gate dielectric, and forming a source region in the body region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank
  • Publication number: 20150295078
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a body region of a first conductivity type in the substrate, a source region of a second conductivity type adjacent the body region, and a trench extending into the substrate. The trench contains a polysilicon gate electrode insulated from the substrate. The device further includes a dielectric layer on the substrate, a gate metallization on the dielectric layer and covering part of the substrate and a source metallization on the dielectric layer and electrically connected to the source region. The gate metallization includes two spaced apart fingers. The source metallization is spaced apart from the gate metallization and covers a different part of the substrate than the gate metallization. A metal-filled groove in the polysilicon gate electrode is electrically connected to the two spaced apart fingers, and extends along a length of the trench directly underneath at least part of the source metallization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Li Juin Yip
  • Patent number: 9111766
    Abstract: A transistor device includes a source region, a drift region, and a body region arranged between the source region and the drift region. A gate electrode is adjacent to the body region, and dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric. A field electrode arrangement is adjacent to the drift region and the body region, spaced apart from the gate electrode in a first direction that is perpendicular to a vertical direction in which the source region and the drift region are spaced apart, and includes a field electrode and a field electrode dielectric. The field electrode dielectric dielectrically insulates the field electrode at least from the drift region. The field electrode arrangement has a first width adjacent the drift region, and a second width adjacent the body region and the first width is larger than the second width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank