Abstract: A semiconductor device including a drift zone of a first conductivity type serving as a substrate layer having a front side and a back side. A first contact electrode is arranged at the front side of the drift zone. A control region is arranged at the front side and controls an injection of carriers of at least the first conductivity type into the drift zone. A second contact electrode is arranged at the backside of the drift zone. The drift zone is arranged to carry a carrier flow between the first and the second contact electrode. The drift zone includes a silicon carbide wafer with a net carrier concentration less than 1015 cm?3 and a carrier lifetime of at least 50 ns.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compressor (1) of an exhaust-gas turbocharger having a compressor housing (2) which has a compressor outlet connecting pipe (3), and having a sound absorber (4), wherein the sound absorber (4) is formed as a separate component which can be connected to the outlet connecting pipe (3).

Abstract: A transistor component having a shielding structure. One embodiment provides a source terminal, a drain terminal and control terminal. A source zone of a first conductivity type is connected to the source terminal. A drain zone of the first conductivity type is connected to the drain terminal. A drift zone is arranged between the source zone and the drain zone. A junction control structure is provided for controlling a junction zone in the drift zone between the drain zone and the source zone, at least including one control zone. A shielding structure is arranged in the drift zone between the junction control structure and the drain zone and at least includes a shielding zone of a second conductivity type being complementarily to the first conductivity type. The shielding zone is connected to a terminal for a shielding potential.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a silicon carbide single crystal. A silicon carbide single crystal is grown. The crystal has a boron concentration less than 5×1014 cm?3, and a concentration of transition metals impurities less than 5×1014 cm?3. Intrinsic defects in the crystal are minimised. The intrinsic defects include silicon vacancies or carbon vacancies. The crystal is annealed for a desired time at a temperature above 700° C. in an atmosphere containing any of the gases hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and an inert gas, such that the density of intrinsic defects and any associated defects is decreased to a concentration low enough to confer to the crystal a desired carrier life time of at least 50 ns at room temperature.

Abstract: A transistor component having a shielding structure. One embodiment provides a source terminal, a drain terminal and control terminal. A source zone of a first conductivity type is connected to the source terminal. A drain zone of the first conductivity type is connected to the drain terminal. A drift zone is arranged between the source zone and the drain zone. A junction control structure is provided for controlling a junction zone in the drift zone between the drain zone and the source zone, at least including one control zone. A shielding structure is arranged in the drift zone between the junction control structure and the drain zone and at least includes a shielding zone of a second conductivity type being complementarily to the first conductivity type. The shielding zone is connected to a terminal for a shielding potential.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention relates to a switching system that includes a depletion-mode semiconductor device, such as a silicon carbide device, coupled in series with an enhancement-mode semiconductor device, such as a silicon field effect transistor, so that a controller can be configured to disable conductivity of the series arrangement of the two switches during a transient operating condition. During normal high-frequency switching operation, the controller persistently enables the enhancement-mode device to conduct while intermittently enabling the depletion-mode device to conduct. The controller disables the enhancement-mode device to conduct during a transient operating condition such as start up or during a fault, thereby providing circuit protection during such transients. The switching system preserves low loss switching characteristics of the depletion-mode device in a high-frequency switching circuit.

Abstract: A method for making an integrated circuit including vertical junction field effect transistors is disclosed. One embodiment creates a vertical junction field effect transistor using a fault-tolerant or alignment-tolerant production process. The device performance is not harmed, even if misalignments in consecutive semiconductor processing steps occur.

Abstract: An integrated vertical SiC—PN power diode has a highly doped SiC semiconductor body of a first conductivity type, a low-doped drift zone of the first conductivity type, arranged above the semiconductor body on the emitter side, an emitter zone of a second conductivity type, applied to the drift zone, and at least one thin intermediate layer of the first conductivity type. The intermediate layer is arranged inside the drift zone, has a higher doping concentration than the drift zone, and divides the drift zone into at least one first anode-side drift zone layer and at least one second cathode-side drift zone layer. There is also disclosed a circuit configuration with such SiC—PN power diodes.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention relates to a switching system that includes a depletion-mode semiconductor device, such as a silicon carbide device, coupled in series with an enhancement-mode semiconductor device, such as a silicon field effect transistor, so that a controller can be configured to disable conductivity of the series arrangement of the two switches during a transient operating condition. During normal high-frequency switching operation, the controller persistently enables the enhancement-mode device to conduct while intermittently enabling the depletion-mode device to conduct. The controller disables the enhancement-mode device to conduct during a transient operating condition such as start up or during a fault, thereby providing circuit protection during such transients. The switching system preserves low loss switching characteristics of the depletion-mode device in a high-frequency switching circuit.

Abstract: The disclosure includes an apparatus for moving a manhole cover comprising a lever having an engaging end, a linkage connected to the engaging end of the lever, and at least one magnet connected to the linkage and engageable with the manhole cover, wherein the lever provides leverage for moving the manhole cover. The at least one magnet may be selectively engageable with the manhole cover and may further have an interface surface. The at least one magnet may have a handle moveable between an engaged position, wherein a magnetic flux is emitted through the interface surface of the at least one magnet, and a disengaged position, wherein substantially no magnetic flux is emitted through the interface surface of the at least one magnet.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a silicon carbide single crystal. A silicon carbide single crystal is grown. The crystal has a boron concentration less than 5×1014 cm?3, and a concentration of transition metals impurities less than 5×1014 cm?3. Intrinsic defects in the crystal are minimised. The intrinsic defects include silicon vacancies or carbon vacancies. The crystal is annealed for a desired time at a temperature above 700° C. in an atmosphere containing any of the gases hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and an inert gas, such that the density of intrinsic defects and any associated defects is decreased to a concentration low enough to confer to the crystal a desired carrier life time of at least 50 ns at room temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving a manhole cover comprising a lever having a first lever arm pivotally connected to a second lever arm by a hinge for movement between a collapsed position, wherein the first lever arm is substantially parallel to the second lever arm, and a plurality of operative positions, wherein the first lever arm extends at a non-parallel angle with respect to the second lever arm. A linkage is connected to an engaging end of the lever, and at least one magnet is connected to the linkage and engageable with the manhole cover.

Abstract: A method for making an integrated circuit including vertical junction field effect transistors is disclosed. One embodiment creates a vertical junction field effect transistor using a fault-tolerant or alignment-tolerant production process. The device performance is not harmed, even if misalignments in consecutive semiconductor processing steps occur.

Abstract: A uniform silicon carbide single crystal with either an n-type or a p-type conductivity. The crystal has a net carrier concentration less than 1015 cm?3 and a carrier lifetime of at least 50 ns at room temperature.

Abstract: An integrated vertical SiC—PN power diode has a highly doped SiC semiconductor body of a first conductivity type, a low-doped drift zone of the first conductivity type, arranged above the semiconductor body on the emitter side, an emitter zone of a second conductivity type, applied to the drift zone, and at least one thin intermediate layer of the first conductivity type. The intermediate layer is arranged inside the drift zone, has a higher doping concentration than the drift zone, and divides the drift zone into at least one first anode-side drift zone layer and at least one second cathode-side drift zone layer. There is also disclosed a circuit configuration with such SiC—PN power diodes.

Abstract: The modular measuring drive system can include a housing having a cavity and being sized and shaped to fit within a disk drive bay of a computer and a measuring device, disposed within the cavity of the housing, for providing a measurement value to the computer. The modular measuring drive system can also include a conduit having a first end, which provides an opening for fluid to pass, and a second end coupled to the measuring device, a data port coupled to the measuring device and configured to be coupled to the computer and a power supply port, coupled to the measuring device, capable of receiving power from a power supply.

Abstract: A switching device includes a working circuit, to which an operating voltage can be or is applied to which has at least one electronic switching element. This switching element includes at least one control terminal for applying a switching signal and is switched off or switched on depending on the switching signal. At least one electronic protection element is for protecting the switching element in its switched state from excessive Joule losses in the event of danger, especially in the event of an overload or a short circuit. The protection element bears the predominant part of the operating voltage that is released at the working circuit.

Abstract: The invention provides assistance, by providing a control interface between a recognition or announcement/dialog function with voice recognition functionality and a conference management function, via which the conference can be controlled and monitored in an automated manner. The recognition or announcement/dialog function switches to the individual conferences in succession under the control of the conference management function, monitors the combined stream of all voice data emitted by the conferees in an interim check. If disruptive data is detected, the conference management function associates the disruptive data with the conferee emitting the data. The recognition or announcement/dialog function to the individual participants in the conference is switched in succession. If the conferee emitting the disruptive data is detected in this process and this conferee is identified as a disruptive party as a result, the conferee is automatically switched to silent or removed entirely from the conference.

Abstract: A switching device includes at least one MOSFET switching element and at least one JFET protective element, which is connected electrically in series to the switching element and which limits the electric current to a maximum current (saturated current) and control elements, which increase the maximum current of the JFET protective element during the closing operation or in a time-delayed manner, at least in the temporal mean, to at least a higher value and subsequently reduce said maximum current to at least a lower value. The advantage of said switching device is that it allows higher starting or closing overcurrents, which are subsequently limited.

Abstract: A semi-conductor structure for controlling and switching a current has a switch element and an edge element. The switch element contains a first semi-conductor area of a first conductivity type contacted by way of an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, a depletion area that is arranged inside the first semi-conductor area and that can be influenced by a control voltage applied to the control electrode for the purpose of current control, and an island area of a second conductivity type that is buried inside the first semi-conductor area. The edge element contains an edge area of the second conductivity type that is buried inside the first semi-conductive area and that is formed on a common level with the buried island area, in addition to an edge terminating area of a second conductivity type adjacent the edge area.