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: 20170250256
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes needle-shaped field plate structures extending from a first surface into transistor sections of a semiconductor portion in a transistor cell area. A grid structure separates the transistor sections from each other. The grid structure includes: stripe-shaped gate edge portions extending along one edge of the transistor sections, respectively; gate node portions wider than the gate edge portions and connecting two or more of the gate edge portions, respectively; and one or more connection sections of the semiconductor portion, wherein the one or more connection sections extend between neighboring transistor sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, David Laforet, Cedric Ouvrard, Li Juin Yip
  • Publication number: 20170250255
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a transistor cell region formed in the semiconductor substrate and an inner termination region formed in the semiconductor substrate and devoid of transistor cells. The transistor cell region includes a plurality of transistor cells and a gate structure that forms a grid separating transistor sections of the transistor cells from each other, each of the transistor sections including a needle-shaped first field plate structure extending from a first surface into the semiconductor substrate. The inner termination region surrounds the transistor cell region and includes needle-shaped second field plate structures extending from the first surface into the semiconductor substrate. The first field plate structures form a first portion of a regular pattern and the second field plate structures form a second portion of the same regular pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Michael Hutzler, David Laforet, Cedric Ouvrard, Li Juin Yip
  • Publication number: 20170236910
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor includes: forming a field electrode in a field plate trench in a main surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming a gate trench in the main surface, the gate trench extending in a first direction parallel to the main surface; and for a gate electrode in the gate trench, the gate electrode being made of a gate electrode material that comprises a metal. The field plate trench is formed to have an extension length in the first direction which is less than double of an extension length of the field plate trench in a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: David Laforet, Oliver Blank, Michael Hutzler, Cedric Ouvrard, Ralf Siemieniec, Li Juin Yip
  • Patent number: 9728614
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is manufactured by forming a gate electrode adjacent to a body region in a semiconductor substrate, forming a field plate trench in a main surface of the substrate, the field plate trench having an extension length in a first direction parallel to the main surface, and forming a field electrode and a field dielectric layer in the field plate trench so that the field electrode is insulated from an adjacent drift zone by the field dielectric layer. The extension length of the field plate trench in the first direction is less than double an extension length of the field electrode in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and is parallel to the main surface. The extension length in the first direction is more than half the extension length in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: David Laforet, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Patent number: 9722036
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Oliver Blank, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Patent number: 9711660
    Abstract: A JFET has a semiconductor body with a first surface and second surface substantially parallel to the first surface. A source metallization and gate metallization are arranged on the first surface. A drain metallization is arranged on the second surface. In a sectional plane substantially perpendicular to the first surface, the semiconductor body includes: a first semiconductor region in ohmic contact with the source and drain metallizations, at least two second semiconductor regions in ohmic contact with the gate metallization, spaced apart from one another, and forming respective first pn-junctions with the first semiconductor region, and at least one body region forming a second pn-junction with the first semiconductor region. The at least one body region is in ohmic contact with the source metallization. At least a portion of the at least one body region is, in a projection onto the first surface, arranged between the two second semiconductor regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Jens Peter Konrath, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Ralf Siemieniec, Cedric Ouvrard
  • Patent number: 9680004
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: David Laforet, Oliver Blank, Michael Hutzler, Cedric Ouvrard, Ralf Siemieniec, Li Juin Yip
  • Publication number: 20170154965
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including, between a bottom side and a top side, a first trench and a second trench extending in a vertical direction, and a contact groove arranged between the first trench and the second trench. The contact groove has a longitudinal extension in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The longitudinal extension of the contact groove at least partially has a wave-shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Marion Hoja, Christoph Kadow, Sabine Konrad, Cedric Ouvrard
  • Patent number: 9653598
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Michael Hutzler
  • Publication number: 20170125520
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming field electrode structures extending in a direction vertical to a first surface in a semiconductor body; forming cell mesas from portions of the semiconductor body between the field electrode structures, including body zones forming first pn junctions with a drift zone; forming gate structures between the field electrode structures and configured to control a current flow through the body zones; and forming auxiliary diode structures with a forward voltage lower than the first pn junctions and 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: January 6, 2017
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Martin Henning Vielemeyer
  • Publication number: 20170125345
    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 includes a resistance section formed of a locally increased specific resistance relative to a specific resistance of adjacent semiconductor material or metal of the respective connection line. Each of the connecting locations and each of the resistance sections is arranged in the non-active transistor region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Gerhard Noebauer, Ralf Siemieniec, Maximilian Roesch, Martin Poelzl, Michael Hutzler
  • Publication number: 20170117352
    Abstract: A SIC transistor device includes a silicon-carbide semiconductor substrate having a plurality of first doped regions laterally spaced apart from one another and beneath a main surface of the substrate, a second doped region extending from the main surface to a third doped region that is above the first doped regions, and a plurality of fourth doped regions in the substrate extending from the main surface to the first doped regions. The second doped region has a first conductivity type. The first, third and fourth doped regions have a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type. A gate trench extends through the second and third doped regions. The gate trench has sidewalls, a bottom and rounded corners between the bottom and the sidewalls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Romain Esteve, Dethard Peters, Wolfgang Bergner, Ralf Siemieniec, Thomas Aichinger, Daniel Kueck
  • Patent number: 9627520
    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: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec, Christian Geissler, Oliver Blank, Maximilian Roesch
  • Publication number: 20170104078
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is manufactured by forming a gate electrode adjacent to a body region in a semiconductor substrate, forming a field plate trench in a main surface of the substrate, the field plate trench having an extension length in a first direction parallel to the main surface, and forming a field electrode and a field dielectric layer in the field plate trench so that the field electrode is insulated from an adjacent drift zone by the field dielectric layer. The extension length of the field plate trench in the first direction is less than double an extension length of the field electrode in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and is parallel to the main surface. The extension length in the first direction is more than half the extension length in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: David Laforet, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Patent number: 9620636
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Michael Hutzler, Martin Poelzl
  • Patent number: 9590095
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank, Franz Hirler, Michael Hutzler, Martin Poelzl
  • Publication number: 20170054012
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a drift region extending from a first surface into a semiconductor portion. A body region between two portions of the drift region forms a first pn junction with the drift region. A source region forms a second pn junction with the body region. The pn junctions include sections perpendicular to the first surface. Gate structures extend into the body regions and include a gate electrode. Field plate structures extend into the drift region and include a field electrode separated from the gate electrode. A gate shielding structure is configured to reduce a capacitive coupling between the gate structures and a backplate electrode directly adjoining a second surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Hutzler, Georg Ehrentraut, Matthias Kuenle, Ralf Siemieniec
  • Patent number: 9577073
    Abstract: A silicon-carbide semiconductor substrate having a plurality of first doped regions being laterally spaced apart from one another and beneath a main surface, and a second doped region extending from the main surface to a third doped region that is above the first doped regions is formed. Fourth doped regions extending from the main surface to the first doped regions are formed. A gate trench having a bottom that is arranged over a portion of one of the first doped regions is formed. A high-temperature step is applied to the substrate so as to realign silicon-carbide atoms along sidewalls of the trench and form rounded corners in the gate trench. A surface layer that forms along the sidewalls of the gate trench during the high-temperature step from the substrate is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Romain Esteve, Dethard Peters, Wolfgang Bergner, Ralf Siemieniec, Thomas Aichinger, Daniel Kueck
  • Patent number: 9570553
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Noebauer, Ralf Siemieniec, Maximilian Roesch, Martin Poelzl, Michael Hutzler
  • Patent number: 9570438
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body including first and second lateral surfaces. A first device region includes a drift region of a first conductivity type, and a drift current control region of a second conductivity type being spaced apart from the second lateral surface by the drift region. A second device region includes a barrier layer, and a buffer layer having a different band gap than the barrier layer so that a two-dimensional charge carrier gas channel arises along an interface between the buffer layer and the barrier layer. An electrically conductive substrate contact forms a low ohmic connection between the two-dimensional charge carrier gas channel and the drift region. A gate structure is configured to control a conduction state of the two-dimensional charge carrier gas. The drift current control region is configured to block a vertical current in the drift region via a space-charge region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Gilberto Curatola, Ralf Siemieniec