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: 20220246744
    Abstract: A transistor device is provided. In an example, the transistor device includes a semiconductor body having a first main surface, a second main surface opposite to the first main surface. The transistor device further includes a transistor cell array including a plurality of transistor cells. The transistor cell array includes a first load electrode over the first main surface. The first load electrode is electrically connected to the plurality of transistor cells. The transistor cell array further includes a second load electrode over the second main surface. The second load electrode is electrically connected to the plurality of transistor cells. The plurality of transistor cells includes at least one control electrode including carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Ingo Muri, Till Schloesser, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Olaf Storbeck
  • Publication number: 20220246745
    Abstract: A silicon carbide device includes a semiconductor substrate comprising a body region and transistor cell that comprises a source region, and a titanium carbide field electrode of the transistor cell, wherein the titanium carbide field electrode is connected to a reference voltage metallization structure or connectable to the reference voltage metallization structure by a switching device, wherein the reference voltage metallization is connected to a fixed voltage that is independent from a gate voltage of the transistor cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Thomas Aichinger, Iris Moder, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Carsten von Koblinski
  • Patent number: 11367683
    Abstract: A silicon carbide device includes a silicon carbide substrate, a contact layer including nickel, silicon and aluminum, a barrier layer structure including titanium and tungsten, and a metallization layer including copper. The contact layer is located on the silicon carbide substrate. The contact layer is located between the silicon carbide substrate and at least a part of the barrier layer structure. The barrier layer structure is located between the silicon carbide substrate and the metallization layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Edward Fuergut, Ravi Keshav Joshi, Ralf Siemieniec, Thomas Basler, Martin Gruber, Jochen Hilsenbeck, Dethard Peters, Roland Rupp, Wolfgang Scholz
  • Patent number: 11342433
    Abstract: A silicon carbide device includes a silicon carbide substrate having a body region and a source region of a transistor cell. Further, the silicon carbide device includes a titanium carbide gate electrode of the transistor cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Thomas Aichinger, Iris Moder, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Carsten von Koblinski
  • Patent number: 11296218
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having first and second opposing surfaces, an active area including active transistor cells, and an edge termination region laterally surrounding the active area. Each active transistor cell includes a mesa and a columnar trench having a field plate. The edge termination region includes inactive cells each including a columnar termination trench having a field plate, and a termination mesa including a drift region of a first conductivity type. The edge termination region includes a transition region laterally surrounding the active region and an outer termination region laterally surrounding the transition region. In the transition region, the termination mesa includes a body region of a second conductivity type arranged on the drift region. In the outer termination region, the drift region extends to the first surface. A buried doped region of the edge termination region is positioned in the transition and outer termination regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignees: Infineon Technologies Austria AG, Infineon Technologies Americas Corp.
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Adam Amali, Michael Hutzler, Laszlo Juhasz, David Laforet, Cedric Ouvrard, Li Juin Yip
  • Publication number: 20220102487
    Abstract: A transistor cell includes a gate electrode and a source region of a first conductivity type. A drain/drift region is formed in a silicon carbide body. A buried region of the second conductivity type and the drain/drift region form a pn junction. The buried region and a well region form a unipolar junction. A mean net dopant density N2 of the buried region is higher than a mean net dopant density N1 of the well region. A first clamp region of the first conductivity type extends into the well region. A first low-resistive ohmic path electrically connects the first clamp region and the gate electrode. A second clamp region of the first conductivity type extends into the well region. A second low-resistive ohmic path electrically connects the second clamp region and the source region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Wolfgang Jantscher, David Kammerlander, Dethard Peters, Joachim Weyers
  • Publication number: 20220102549
    Abstract: A silicon carbide device includes a transistor cell with a source region and a gate electrode. The source region is formed in a silicon carbide body and has a first conductivity type. A first low-resistive ohmic path electrically connects the source region and a doped region of a second conductivity type. The doped region and a floating well of the first conductivity type form a pn junction. A first clamp region having the second conductivity type extends into the floating well. A second low-resistive ohmic path electrically connects the first clamp region and the gate electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Joachim Weyers, Franz Hirler, Wolfgang Jantscher, David Kammerlander, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Publication number: 20220093761
    Abstract: In an example, a silicon carbide device includes a silicon carbide body. The silicon carbide body includes a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region. The central region includes a source region of a first conductivity type. The peripheral region includes a doped region of a second conductivity type. A stripe-shaped gate electrode extends through the central region and into the peripheral region. A contiguous source metallization is formed on the central region and on an inner portion of the peripheral region. The contiguous source metallization and the source region form a first ohmic contact in the central region. The contiguous source metallization and the doped region form a second ohmic contact in the peripheral region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Dethard Peters
  • Publication number: 20220085186
    Abstract: A silicon carbide device includes a silicon carbide body with a trench gate structure that extends from a first surface into the silicon carbide body. A body region is in contact with an active sidewall of the trench gate structure. A source region is in contact with the active sidewall and located between the body region and the first surface. The body region includes a first body portion directly below the source region and distant from the active sidewall. In at least one horizontal plane parallel to the first surface, a dopant concentration in the first body portion is at least 150% of a reference dopant concentration in the body region at the active sidewall and a horizontal extension of the first body portion is at least 20% of a total horizontal extension of the body region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Wolfgang Jantscher, David Kammerlander
  • Publication number: 20220059659
    Abstract: A method includes providing a silicon carbide substrate, wherein a gate trench extends from a main surface of the silicon carbide substrate into the silicon carbide substrate and wherein a gate dielectric is formed on at least one sidewall of the gate trench, and forming a gate electrode in the gate trench, the gate electrode including a metal structure and a semiconductor layer between the metal structure and the gate dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Thomas Aichinger, Romain Esteve, Ravi Keshav Joshi, Shiqin Niu
  • Publication number: 20220013665
    Abstract: A vertical power semiconductor transistor device includes: a drain region of a first conductivity type; a body region of a second conductivity type; a drift region of the first conductivity type which separates the body region from the drain region; a source region of the first conductivity type separated from the drift region by the body region; a gate trench extending through the source and body regions and into the drift region, the gate trench including a gate electrode; and a field electrode in the gate trench or in a separate trench. The drift region has a generally linearly graded first doping profile which increases from the body region toward a bottom of the trench that includes the field electrode, and a graded second doping profile that increases at a greater rate than the first doping profile from an end of the first doping profile toward the drain region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, David Laforet, Cédric Ouvrard
  • Publication number: 20210408279
    Abstract: In an example, for manufacturing a semiconductor device, first dopants are implanted through a first surface section of a first surface of a silicon carbide body. A trench is formed that extends from the first surface into the silicon carbide body. The trench includes a first sidewall surface and an opposite second sidewall surface. A spacer mask is formed. The spacer mask covers at least the first sidewall surface. Second dopants are implanted through a portion of a bottom surface of the trench exposed by the spacer mask. The first dopants and the second dopants have a same conductivity type. The first dopants and the second dopants are activated. The first dopants form a doped top shielding region adjoining the second sidewall surface. The second dopants form a doped buried shielding region adjoining the bottom surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Wolfgang Jantscher, David Kammerlander
  • Patent number: 11211468
    Abstract: A silicon carbide device includes a silicon carbide body with a trench gate structure that extends from a first surface into the silicon carbide body. A body region is in contact with an active sidewall of the trench gate structure. A source region is in contact with the active sidewall and located between the body region and the first surface. The body region includes a first body portion directly below the source region and distant from the active sidewall. In at least one horizontal plane parallel to the first surface, a dopant concentration in the first body portion is at least 150% of a reference dopant concentration in the body region at the active sidewall and a horizontal extension of the first body portion is at least 20% of a total horizontal extension of the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Wolfgang Jantscher, David Kammerlander
  • Patent number: 11195921
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode and a gate dielectric. The gate electrode extends from a first surface of a silicon carbide body into the silicon carbide body. The gate dielectric is between the gate electrode and the silicon carbide body. The gate electrode includes a metal structure and a semiconductor layer between the metal structure and the gate dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Thomas Aichinger, Romain Esteve, Ravi Keshav Joshi, Shiqin Niu
  • Publication number: 20210343835
    Abstract: A semiconductor component includes: gate structures extending from a first surface into an SiC semiconductor body; a drift zone of a first conductivity type formed in the SiC semiconductor body; first mesas and second mesas arranged between the gate structures in the SiC semiconductor body; body areas of a second conductivity type arranged in the first mesas and the second mesas, the body areas each adjoining a first side wall of one of the gate structures; first shielding areas of the second conductivity type adjoining a second side wall of one of the gate structures; second shielding areas of the second conductivity type adjoining the body areas in the second mesas; and diode areas of the conductivity type of the drift zone, the diode areas forming Schottky contacts with a load electrode between the first shielding areas and the second shielding areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Thomas Aichinger, Thomas Basler, Wolfgang Bergner, Rudolf Elpelt, Romain Esteve, Michael Hell, Daniel Kueck, Caspar Leendertz, Dethard Peters, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 11158735
    Abstract: A vertical power semiconductor transistor device includes: a drain region of a first conductivity type; a body region of a second conductivity type; a drift region of the first conductivity type which separates the body region from the drain region; a source region of the first conductivity type separated from the drift region by the body region; a gate trench extending through the source and body regions and into the drift region, the gate trench including a gate electrode; and a field electrode in the gate trench or in a separate trench. The drift region has a generally linearly graded first doping profile which increases from the body region toward a bottom of the trench that includes the field electrode, and a graded second doping profile that increases at a greater rate than the first doping profile from an end of the first doping profile toward the drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, David Laforet, Cedric Ouvrard
  • Patent number: 11145755
    Abstract: A semiconductor component includes a SiC semiconductor body having an active region and an edge termination structure at least partly surrounding the active region. A drift zone of a first conductivity type is formed in the SiC semiconductor body. The edge termination structure includes: a first doped region of a second conductivity type between a first surface of the SiC semiconductor body and the drift zone, the first doped region at least partly surrounding the active region and being spaced apart from the first surface; a plurality of second doped regions of the second conductivity type between the first surface and the first doped region; and third doped regions of the first conductivity type separating adjacent second doped regions of the plurality of second doped regions from one another in a lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Larissa Wehrhahn-Kilian, Rudolf Elpelt, Roland Rupp, Ralf Siemieniec, Bernd Zippelius
  • Patent number: 11133378
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is proposed. A trench gate structure extends from a first surface into a silicon carbide semiconductor body along a vertical direction. A trench contact structure extends from the first surface into the silicon carbide semiconductor body along the vertical direction. A source region of a first conductivity type and a body region of a second conductivity type adjoin a first sidewall of the trench gate structure. A diode region of the second conductivity type adjoins a second sidewall of the trench gate structure opposite to the first sidewall. A shielding region of the second conductivity type adjoins a bottom of the trench contact structure, the shielding region being arranged at a lateral distance to the trench gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Wolfgang Bergner
  • Publication number: 20210273054
    Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor component includes: forming a silicon carbide substrate having a body layer formed on a section of a main layer, and a source layer formed on a section of the body layer; forming gate trenches and contact trenches extending through the source layer and the body layer, the gate trenches and contact trenches alternating along a first horizontal direction parallel to a first main surface of the silicon carbide substrate; forming a gate dielectric in the gate trenches; forming a metal structure which includes first sections adjoining the gate dielectric in the gate trenches and second sections in the contact trenches, the second sections adjoining body regions formed from sections of the body layer and source regions formed from sections of the source layer; and removing third sections of the metal structure that connect the first sections to the second sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Wolfgang Bergner
  • Patent number: 11101343
    Abstract: A semiconductor component has a gate structure that extends from a first surface into an SiC semiconductor body. A body area in the SiC semiconductor body adjoins a first side wall of the gate structure. A first shielding area and a second shielding area of the conductivity type of the body area have at least twice as high a level of doping as the body area. A diode area forms a Schottky contact with a load electrode between the first shielding area and the second shielding area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Thomas Aichinger, Thomas Basler, Wolfgang Bergner, Rudolf Elpelt, Romain Esteve, Michael Hell, Daniel Kueck, Caspar Leendertz, Dethard Peters, Hans-Joachim Schulze