Patents by Inventor Reinhard Ploss

Reinhard Ploss 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).

  • Patent number: 11888024
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a trench in a semiconductor body; at least partially filling the trench with a filling material; introducing dopants into a portion of the filling material; and applying a first thermal processing to the semiconductor body to spread the dopants in the filling material along a vertical direction of the filling material by a diffusion process. The vertical doping profile of the dopants within the doped filling material is shaped during the first thermal processing. Additionally, the dopants are substantially confined to within the trench and substantially do not diffuse from the doped filling material into the semiconductor body during the first thermal processing. A second thermal processing is applied to the semiconductor body after the first thermal processing to cause diffusion of the dopants from the doped filling material into the semiconductor body adjoining the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Ploss, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 11251269
    Abstract: An embodiment of a semiconductor device includes a trench gate structure extending from a first surface into a silicon carbide semiconductor body along a vertical direction. A body region of a first conductivity type adjoins a sidewall of the trench gate structure and includes a first body sub-region adjoining the sidewall and a second body sub-region adjoining the sidewall. At least one profile of dopants of the first conductivity type along the vertical direction includes a first doping peak in the first body sub-region and a second doping peak in the second body sub-region. A doping concentration of the first doping peak is larger than a doping concentration of the second doping peak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Ploss, Thomas Aichinger, Roland Rupp, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20210376068
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a trench in a semiconductor body; at least partially filling the trench with a filling material; introducing dopants into a portion of the filling material; and applying a first thermal processing to the semiconductor body to spread the dopants in the filling material along a vertical direction of the filling material by a diffusion process. The vertical doping profile of the dopants within the doped filling material is shaped during the first thermal processing. Additionally, the dopants are substantially confined to within the trench and substantially do not diffuse from the doped filling material into the semiconductor body during the first thermal processing. A second thermal processing is applied to the semiconductor body after the first thermal processing to cause diffusion of the dopants from the doped filling material into the semiconductor body adjoining the trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Reinhard PLOSS, Hans-Joachim SCHULZE
  • Patent number: 11139369
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a trench in a semiconductor body; at least partially filling the trench with a filling material, the filling material; introducing dopants into a portion of the filling material, where the dopants have a first diffusion coefficient relative to the filling material and have a second diffusion coefficient relative to the semiconductor body, where the first diffusion coefficient is greater than the second diffusion coefficient, and where a ratio of the first diffusion coefficient to the second diffusion coefficient is greater than 10; and applying thermal processing to the semiconductor body configured to spread the dopants in the filling material along a vertical direction between a bottom side and a top side of the filling material by a diffusion process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Inventors: Reinhard Ploss, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20200098868
    Abstract: An embodiment of a semiconductor device includes a trench gate structure extending from a first surface into a silicon carbide semiconductor body along a vertical direction. A body region of a first conductivity type adjoins a sidewall of the trench gate structure and includes a first body sub-region adjoining the sidewall and a second body sub-region adjoining the sidewall. At least one profile of dopants of the first conductivity type along the vertical direction includes a first doping peak in the first body sub-region and a second doping peak in the second body sub-region. A doping concentration of the first doping peak is larger than a doping concentration of the second doping peak.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Reinhard Ploss, Thomas Aichinger, Roland Rupp, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20190319091
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a trench in a semiconductor body; at least partially filling the trench with a filling material, the filling material; introducing dopants into a portion of the filling material, where the dopants have a first diffusion coefficient relative to the filling material and have a second diffusion coefficient relative to the semiconductor body, where the first diffusion coefficient is greater than the second diffusion coefficient, and where a ratio of the first diffusion coefficient to the second diffusion coefficient is greater than 10; and applying thermal processing to the semiconductor body configured to spread the dopants in the filling material along a vertical direction between a bottom side and a top side of the filling material by a diffusion process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Reinhard PLOSS, Hans-Joachim SCHULZE
  • Patent number: 10340335
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided such that a trench is formed in a semiconductor body at a first surface of the semiconductor body. Dopants are introduced into a first region at a bottom side of the trench by ion implantation. A filling material is formed in the trench. Dopants are introduced into a second region at a top side of the filling material. Thermal processing of the semiconductor body is carried out and is configured to intermix dopants from the first and the second regions by a diffusion process along a vertical direction perpendicular to the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Ploss, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 10014400
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a thickness; at least one semiconductor component integrated in the semiconductor substrate; a first metallization at the first side of the semiconductor substrate; and a second metallization at the second side of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate has an oxygen concentration along a thickness line of the semiconductor substrate which has a global maximum at a position of 20% to 80% of the thickness relative to the first side. The global maximum is at least 2-times larger than the oxygen concentrations at each of the first side and the second side of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Helmut Oefner, Nico Caspary, Mohammad Momeni, Reinhard Ploss, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 9842904
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first trench in a semiconductor substrate from a first side, forming a semiconductor layer adjoining the semiconductor substrate at the first side, the semiconductor layer capping the first trench at the first side, and forming a contact at a second side of the semiconductor substrate opposite to the first side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Reinhard Ploss, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20170316929
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a substrate wafer 100 includes providing a device wafer (110) having a first side (111) and a second side (112); subjecting the device wafer (110) to a first high temperature process for reducing the oxygen content of the device wafer (110) at least in a region (112a) at the second side (112); bonding the second side (112) of the device wafer (110) to a first side (121) of a carrier wafer (120) to form a substrate wafer (100); processing the first side (101) of the substrate wafer (100) to reduce the thickness of the device wafer (110); subjecting the substrate wafer (100) to a second high temperature process for reducing the oxygen content at least of the device wafer (110); and at least partially integrating at least one semiconductor component (140) into the device wafer (110) after the second high temperature process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Helmut Oefner, Nico Caspary, Mohammad Momeni, Reinhard Ploss, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 9728395
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a substrate wafer 100 includes providing a device wafer (110) having a first side (111) and a second side (112); subjecting the device wafer (110) to a first high temperature process for reducing the oxygen content of the device wafer (110) at least in a region (112a) at the second side (112); bonding the second side (112) of the device wafer (110) to a first side (121) of a carrier wafer (120) to form a substrate wafer (100); processing the first side (101) of the substrate wafer (100) to reduce the thickness of the device wafer (110); subjecting the substrate wafer (100) to a second high temperature process for reducing the oxygen content at least of the device wafer (110); and at least partially integrating at least one semiconductor component (140) into the device wafer (110) after the second high temperature process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Helmut Oefner, Nico Caspary, Mohammad Momeni, Reinhard Ploss, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20170186838
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided such that a trench is formed in a semiconductor body at a first surface of the semiconductor body. Dopants are introduced into a first region at a bottom side of the trench by ion implantation. A filling material is formed in the trench. Dopants are introduced into a second region at a top side of the filling material. Thermal processing of the semiconductor body is carried out and is configured to intermix dopants from the first and the second regions by a diffusion process along a vertical direction perpendicular to the first surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Reinhard PLOSS, Hans-Joachim SCHULZE
  • Publication number: 20170148887
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first trench in a semiconductor substrate from a first side, forming a semiconductor layer adjoining the semiconductor substrate at the first side, the semiconductor layer capping the first trench at the first side, and forming a contact at a second side of the semiconductor substrate opposite to the first side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Reinhard Ploss, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 9570566
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a first trench extending into or through the semiconductor substrate from a first side. The first trench is at least partially filled with a conductive material and electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate via a doped semiconductor layer at a sidewall of the first trench. A semiconductor layer adjoins the semiconductor substrate at the first side, and caps the first trench at the first side. A contact is disposed at a second side of the semiconductor substrate opposite to the first side. A method of manufacturing the semiconductor device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Reinhard Ploss, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Patent number: 9559020
    Abstract: A method for treating a semiconductor wafer having a basic doping is disclosed. The method includes determining a doping concentration of the basic doping, and adapting the basic doping of the semiconductor wafer by postdoping. The postdoping includes at least one of the following methods: a proton implantation and a subsequent thermal process for producing hydrogen induced donors. In this case, at least one of the following parameters is dependent on the determined doping concentration of the basic doping: an implantation dose of the proton implantation, and a temperature of the thermal process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Ploss, Helmut Oefner, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20160300920
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a trench in a semiconductor body at a first surface of the semiconductor body, forming a polysilicon material in the trench, introducing dopants into the polysilicon material by a high dose and low energy process, and performing a thermal treatment configured to drive-in the dopants into the polysilicon material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Alexander Susiti, Markus Zundel, Reinhard Ploss
  • Patent number: 9384960
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a continuous silicate glass structure over a first surface of a semiconductor body, including a first part of the continuous glass structure over an active area of the semiconductor body and a second part of the continuous glass structure over an area of the semiconductor body outside of the active area. A first composition of dopants included in the first part of continuous glass structure differs from a second composition of dopants of the second part of the continuous glass structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Alexander Susiti, Markus Zundel, Reinhard Ploss
  • Publication number: 20160104622
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a substrate wafer 100 includes providing a device wafer (110) having a first side (111) and a second side (112); subjecting the device wafer (110) to a first high temperature process for reducing the oxygen content of the device wafer (110) at least in a region (112a) at the second side (112); bonding the second side (112) of the device wafer (110) to a first side (121) of a carrier wafer (120) to form a substrate wafer (100); processing the first side (101) of the substrate wafer (100) to reduce the thickness of the device wafer (110); subjecting the substrate wafer (100) to a second high temperature process for reducing the oxygen content at least of the device wafer (110); and at least partially integrating at least one semiconductor component (140) into the device wafer (110) after the second high temperature process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Helmut Oefner, Nico Caspary, Mohammad Momeni, Reinhard Ploss, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20160099186
    Abstract: A method for treating a semiconductor wafer having a basic doping is disclosed. The method includes determining a doping concentration of the basic doping, and adapting the basic doping of the semiconductor wafer by postdoping. The postdoping includes at least one of the following methods: a proton implantation and a subsequent thermal process for producing hydrogen induced donors. In this case, at least one of the following parameters is dependent on the determined doping concentration of the basic doping: an implantation dose of the proton implantation, and a temperature of the thermal process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Reinhard Ploss, Helmut Oefner, Hans-Joachim Schulze
  • Publication number: 20160035842
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a first trench extending into or through the semiconductor substrate from a first side. The first trench is at least partially filled with a conductive material and electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate via a doped semiconductor layer at a sidewall of the first trench. A semiconductor layer adjoins the semiconductor substrate at the first side, and caps the first trench at the first side. A contact is disposed at a second side of the semiconductor substrate opposite to the first side. A method of manufacturing the semiconductor device is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Reinhard Ploss, Hans-Joachim Schulze