Patents by Inventor Ralf Siemieniec

Ralf Siemieniec 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: 20150137177
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a field effect transistor structure having source zones of a first conductivity type and body zones of a second conductivity type which is the opposite of the first conductivity type, the source zones adjoining a first surface of a semiconductor die comprising the source and the body zones. The semiconductor device further includes a dielectric layer adjoining the first surface and polysilicon plugs extending through openings in the dielectric layer and electrically connected to the source and the body zones. The polysilicon plugs have silicide crystallites in portions distant to the semiconductor die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Michael Hutzler, Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank
  • Publication number: 20150137222
    Abstract: A field-effect semiconductor device is provided. The field-effect semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a first surface defining a vertical direction. In a vertical cross-section the field-effect semiconductor device further includes a vertical trench extending from the first surface into the semiconductor body and comprising a field electrode, a cavity at least partly surrounded by the field electrode, and an insulation structure substantially surrounding at least the field electrode. An interface between the insulation structure and the surrounding semiconductor body is under tensile stress and the cavity is filled or unfilled so as to counteract the tensile stress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Stefan Sedlmaier, Markus Zundel, Franz Hirler, Johannes Baumgartl, Anton Mauder, Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Michael Hutzler
  • Publication number: 20150137223
    Abstract: A transistor component includes a semiconductor body, a first main electrode, a gate contact electrode, a plurality of transistor cells, and a plurality of gate electrodes. The semiconductor body has a drain region and a drift region of a first conduction type, and a body region of a second conduction type. The first main electrode is on a top side of the semiconductor body. The plurality of gate electrodes is electrically connected to the gate contact electrode and arranged successively in a first lateral direction. In the plurality, a first gate electrode is next to a second gate electrode. The first main electrode includes a first trench contact finger, between the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode, and a second trench contact finger, between the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode, electrically connecting the first main electrode to the body region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Michael Hutzler
  • Publication number: 20150084121
    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: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank
  • Publication number: 20150076568
    Abstract: An embodiment relates to a JFET with a channel region and a gate region forming a pn junction. Between a source region and a drain region in a semiconductor portion, the pn junction extends along a vertical direction perpendicular to a first surface of the semiconductor portion. The source, channel and drain regions have a first conductivity type and are arranged along the vertical direction. The gate region and a shielding region between the gate and drain regions have a second, complementary conductivity type. An auxiliary region separates the gate and shielding regions in the semiconductor portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Cedric Ouvrard
  • Patent number: 8975662
    Abstract: Source zones of a first conductivity type and body zones of a second conductivity type are formed in a semiconductor die. The source zones directly adjoin a first surface of the semiconductor die. A dielectric layer adjoins the first surface. Polysilicon plugs extend through the dielectric layer and are electrically connected to the source and the body zones. An impurity source containing at least one metallic recombination element is provided in contact with deposited polycrystalline silicon material forming the polysilicon plugs and distant to the semiconductor die. Atoms of the metallic recombination element, for example platinum atoms, may be diffused out from the impurity source into the semiconductor die to reliably reduce the reverse recovery charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Michael Hutzler, Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank
  • Publication number: 20150061089
    Abstract: A vertical semiconductor device has a semiconductor body with a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface. A first metallization is arranged on the first surface. A second metallization is arranged on the second surface. In a sectional plane perpendicular to the first surface, the semiconductor body includes an n-doped first semiconductor region in ohmic contact with the second metallization, a plurality of p-doped second semiconductor regions in ohmic contact with the first metallization, and a plurality of p-doped embedded semiconductor regions. The p-doped second semiconductor regions substantially extend to the first surface, are spaced apart from one another and form respective first pn-junctions with the first semiconductor region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Jens Peter Konrath
  • Publication number: 20150048445
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip has a semiconductor body with a bottom side and a top side arranged distant from the bottom side in a vertical direction, an active and a non-active transistor region, a drift region formed in the semiconductor body, a contact terminal for externally contacting the semiconductor chip, and a plurality of transistor cells formed in the semiconductor body. Each of the transistor cells has a first electrode. Each of a plurality of connection lines electrically connects another one of the first electrodes to the contact terminal pad at a connecting location of the respective connection line. Each of the connection lines has a resistance section that is formed of at least one of: a locally reduced cross-sectional area of the connection line section; and a locally increased specific resistance. Each of the connecting locations and each of the resistance sections is arranged in the non-active transistor region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Gerhard Noebauer, Ralf Siemieniec, Maximilian Roesch, Martin Poelzl
  • Patent number: 8946787
    Abstract: Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide a reduced charge transistor arrangement. The capacitance and/or charge of a transistor structure may be reduced by minimizing an overlap of a top gate with respect to a drain of the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Cedric Ouvrard
  • Publication number: 20140374882
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor portion with one or more impurity zones of the same conductivity type. A first electrode structure is electrically connected to the one or more impurity zones in a cell area of the semiconductor portion. At least in an edge area surrounding the cell area a recombination center density in the semiconductor portion is higher than in an active portion of the cell area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Stefan Gamerith, Hans Weber
  • Patent number: 8907408
    Abstract: A field-effect semiconductor device is provided. The field-effect semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a first surface defining a vertical direction. In a vertical cross-section the field-effect semiconductor device further includes a vertical trench extending from the first surface into the semiconductor body. The vertical trench includes a field electrode, a cavity at least partly surrounded by the field electrode, and an insulation structure substantially surrounding at least the field electrode. Further, a method for producing a field-effect semiconductor device is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Stefan Sedlmaier, Markus Zundel, Franz Hirler, Johannes Baumgartl, Anton Mauder, Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Michael Hutzler
  • Patent number: 8884360
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first contact in low Ohmic contact with a source region of the device and a first portion of a body region of the device formed in an active area of the device, and a second contact in low Ohmic contact with a second portion of the body region formed in a peripheral area of the device. The minimum width of the second contact at a first surface of the device is larger than the minimum width of the first contact at the first surface so that maximum current density during commutating the semiconductor device is reduced and thus the risk of device damage during hard commutating is also reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Anton Mauder, Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 8871593
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode buried in a semiconductor portion. The gate electrode includes a first gate portion on a first side of a longitudinal center axis of the gate electrode parallel to the main surface and a second gate portion on an opposite, second side of the longitudinal center axis. At least one first gate contact extends from a main side defined by a main surface into the first gate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Michael Hutzler, Oliver Blank
  • Patent number: 8854087
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a first transistor device with a control terminal and a load path. A drive circuit includes an input terminal and an output terminal. The output terminal is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor device. The drive circuit is operable to drive the first transistor device dependent on an input signal received at the input terminal. A polarity detector is coupled in parallel with the load path of the first transistor device. The polarity detector includes a second transistor device and a current detector. The second transistor device includes a load path connected to the load path of the first transistor device. The current detector includes a sense path in series with the load path of the second transistor device and an output connected to the input terminal of the drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Dethard Peters, Ralf Siemieniec, Peter Friedrichs
  • Patent number: 8741736
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source, a drain, and a gate configured to selectively enable a current to pass between the source and the drain. The semiconductor device includes a drift zone between the source and the drain and a first field plate adjacent the drift zone. The semiconductor device includes a dielectric layer electrically isolating the first field plate from the drift zone and charges within the dielectric layer close to an interface of the dielectric layer adjacent the drift zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Rudolf Berger, Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20140145206
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes at least two device cells integrated in a semiconductor body. Each device cell includes a drift region, a source region, a drain region arranged between the source region and the drift region, a diode region, a pn junction between the diode region and the drift region, and a trench with a first sidewall, a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, and a bottom. The body region adjoins the first sidewall, the diode region adjoins the second sidewall, and the pn junction adjoins the bottom of the trench. Each device cell further includes a gate electrode arranged in the trench and dielectrically insulated from the body region, the diode region and the drift region by a gate dielectric. The diode regions of the at least two device cells are distant in a lateral direction of the semiconductor body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Dethard Peters, Romain Esteve
  • Publication number: 20140131792
    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 opposite the first conductivity type adjacent the body region, and a trench extending into the substrate adjacent the source and body regions. 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 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 gate metallization, and extends along a length of the trench underneath at least part of the source metallization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Li Juin Yip
  • Publication number: 20140097478
    Abstract: Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide a reduced charge transistor arrangement. The capacitance and/or charge of a transistor structure may be reduced by minimizing an overlap of a top gate with respect to a drain of the transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2012
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Ralf SIEMIENIEC, Cedric OUVRARD
  • Publication number: 20140091839
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a first transistor device with a control terminal and a load path. A drive circuit includes an input terminal and an output terminal. The output terminal is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor device. The drive circuit is operable to drive the first transistor device dependent on an input signal received at the input terminal. A polarity detector is coupled in parallel with the load path of the first transistor device. The polarity detector includes a second transistor device and a current detector. The second transistor device includes a load path connected to the load path of the first transistor device. The current detector includes a sense path in series with the load path of the second transistor device and an output connected to the input terminal of the drive circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Dethard Peters, Ralf Siemieniec, Peter Friedrichs
  • Patent number: 8637922
    Abstract: A manufacturing method provides a semiconductor device having a semiconductor body defining a source region, a body region, a drift region and a diode region. The drift region has a first drift region section and a second drift region section. The diode region is buried within the drift region, and has a semiconductor type opposite to the drift region to form a diode. The diode region is separated from the gate electrode by the first drift region section extending from the diode region in a vertical direction. The gate electrode is adjacent the body region and insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric. A source electrode is electrically connected to the source region, the body region and the diode region. A semiconductor region of a doping type opposite to the doping type of the drift region is arranged between the first drift region section and the source electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Dethard Peters, Peter Friedrichs