Patents by Inventor Rolf Weis

Rolf Weis 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: 20160248340
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method includes receiving by a drive circuit electrical power from a voltage tap of a first rectifier circuit that includes a load path and a voltage tap, and using the electrical power by the drive circuit to drive a second rectifier circuit that includes a load path. The load path of the first rectifier circuit and the load path of the second rectifier circuit are coupled to a common circuit node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Gerald Deboy, Anthony Sanders, Rolf Weis
  • Patent number: 9406550
    Abstract: A method for forming an insulation structure in a semiconductor body includes forming a trench extending from a first surface into a semiconductor body, the trench having a first width in a horizontal direction of the semiconductor body, and forming a void spaced apart from the first surface in a vertical direction of the semiconductor body, the void having a second width in a horizontal direction that is greater than the first width, wherein the trench and the void are arranged adjacent to each other in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Marko Lemke, Rolf Weis, Ralf Rudolf
  • Publication number: 20160189887
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes first and second electronic switches each having a load path and a control node, a plurality of switch units each having a load path between a first load node and a second load node, and a plurality of drive units. The load paths of the electronic switches and switch units are connected in series to form a load path of the electronic circuit. A series circuit with the load paths of the switch units is connected between the load paths of the electronic switches. The load path of the electronic circuit includes a plurality of taps. Each drive unit is associated with one of the switch units, is coupled to at least two different taps of the plurality of taps, and is configured to drive the associated switch unit based on an electrical potential at one of the at least two different taps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Anton Mauder, Franz Hirler
  • Patent number: 9368408
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source zone of a first conductivity type formed in a first electrode fin that extends from a first surface into a semiconductor portion. A drain region of the first conductivity type is formed in a second electrode fin that extends from the first surface into the semiconductor portion. A channel/body zone is formed in a transistor fin that extends between the first and second electrode fins at a distance to the first surface. The first and second electrode fins extend along a first lateral direction. A width of first gate sections, which are arranged on opposing sides of the transistor fin, along a second lateral direction perpendicular to the first lateral direction is greater than a distance between the first and second electrode fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Tegen, Marko Lemke, Rolf Weis
  • Publication number: 20160155809
    Abstract: A semiconductor component includes semiconductor fins formed between a base plane and a main surface of a semiconductor body. Each semiconductor fin includes a source region formed between the main surface and a channel/body region, and a drift zone formed between the channel/body region and the base plane. The semiconductor component further includes gate electrode structures on two mutually opposite sides of each channel/body region, and a field electrode structure between mutually adjacent ones of the semiconductor fins. Each field electrode structure is separated from the drift zone by a field dielectric and extends from the main surface as far as the base plane. The gate electrode structures assigned to the mutually adjacent semiconductor fins enclose an upper portion of the corresponding field electrode structure from two sides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Stefan Tegen, Marko Lemke, Rolf Weis
  • Publication number: 20160155840
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a buried doped region at a first distance to a main surface of a semiconductor body. A contact structure extends from the main surface to the doped region. The contact structure includes a contact layer formed from a metal-semiconductor alloy that directly adjoins the doped region. The contact structure further includes a fill structure formed from a metal or a conductive metal compound. An insulator structure surrounds the contact structure in cross-sections parallel to the main surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Marko Lemke, Stefan Tegen, Rolf Weis
  • Publication number: 20160149032
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes at least two transistor cells. Each of these at least two transistor cells includes: a drain region, a drift region, and a body region in a semiconductor fin of a semiconductor body; a source region adjoining the body region; a gate electrode adjacent the body region and dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric; and a field electrode dielectrically insulated from the drift region by a field electrode dielectric, and connected to the source region. The field electrode dielectric is arranged in a first trench between the semiconductor fin and the field electrode. The at least two transistor cells include a first transistor cell, and a second transistor cell. The semiconductor fin of the first transistor cell is separated from the semiconductor fin of the second transistor cell by a second trench different from the first trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Martin Bartels, Rolf Weis
  • Publication number: 20160126243
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes enhancement FinFET cells and depletion FinFET cells. The enhancement FinFET cells include first gate structures separating first semiconductor fins. The depletion FinFET cells include second gate structures separating second semiconductor fins. Between the first and second gate structures a connection structure separates the first semiconductor fins from the second semiconductor fins. The connection structure has a specific conductance which is higher than a specific conductance in the second semiconductor fins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventor: Rolf Weis
  • Patent number: 9318550
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first gate electrode structure, a second gate electrode structure, a device separation structure, and cell separation structures. The first gate electrode structure is buried in a semiconductor portion in a first cell array at a distance to a first surface of the semiconductor portion. The first gate electrode structure includes parallel array stripes. The second gate electrode structure is buried in the semiconductor portion in a second cell array adjacent to the first cell array. The second gate electrode structure includes parallel array stripes. The device separation structure is between the first and second cell arrays. The device separation structure has a first width. The cell separation structures have at most a second width smaller than the first width and notching, at the first surface, semiconductor fins formed from sections of the semiconductor portion between the array trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH
    Inventors: Marko Lemke, Rolf Weis, Stefan Tegen
  • Publication number: 20160104768
    Abstract: A super junction semiconductor device is formed by forming at least a portion of a drift layer on a doped layer of a first conductivity type, implanting first dopants of a first conductivity type and second dopants of a second conductivity type into the drift layer using one or more implant masks with openings to form stripe-shaped first implant regions of the first conductivity type and stripe-shaped second implant regions of the second conductivity type in alternating order, and performing a heat treatment for controlling a diffusion of dopants from the implant regions to form stripe-shaped first regions of the first conductivity type and stripe-shaped second regions of the second conductivity type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Armin Willmeroth, Franz Hirler, Hans Weber, Markus Schmitt, Thomas Wahls, Rolf Weis
  • Patent number: 9276107
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes first and second gate electrode structures and a connection plug. The first gate electrode structure is buried in a semiconductor portion and has array stripes inside a first cell array of transistor cells and a contact stripe outside the first cell array, the contact stripe structurally connected with the array stripes. The second gate electrode structure is buried in the semiconductor portion and has array stripes inside a second cell array of transistor cells. An array isolation region of the semiconductor portion separates the first and second gate electrode structures. The connection plug extends between a first surface of the semiconductor portion and the contact stripe of the first gate electrode structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH
    Inventors: Marko Lemke, Rolf Weis, Stefan Tegen
  • Patent number: 9219149
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes transistor cells with vertical channels perpendicular to a first surface of a semiconductor portion. A buried compensation structure in the semiconductor portion between the transistor cells and a second surface of the semiconductor portion parallel to the first surface includes first areas and second areas. The first and second areas are alternatingly arranged along a lateral direction parallel to the first surface. A contiguous impurity layer of a first conductivity type separates the transistor cells from the buried compensation structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Katarzyna Kowalik-Seidl, Rolf Weis, Uwe Wahl
  • Patent number: 9202910
    Abstract: A lateral power semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a first surface and a second opposite surface, a first main electrode, a second main electrode, a plurality of switchable semiconductor cells and at least one curved semiconductor portion. The first main electrode includes at least two sections and is arranged on the first surface. The second main electrode is arranged on the first surface and between the two sections of the first main electrode. The plurality of switchable semiconductor cells is arranged between a respective one of the two sections of the first main electrode and the second main electrode and is configured to provide a controllable conductive path between the first main electrode and the second main electrode. The curved semiconductor portion is between the first main electrode and the second main electrode and has increasing doping concentration from the first main electrode to the second main electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Anton Mauder, Norbert Thyssen, Rolf Weis
  • Patent number: 9184277
    Abstract: A super junction semiconductor device may include one or more doped zones in a cell area. A drift layer is provided between a doped layer of a first conductivity type and the one or more doped zones. The drift layer includes first regions of the first conductivity type and second regions of a second conductivity type, which is the opposite of the first conductivity type. In an edge area that surrounds the cell area, the first regions may include first portions separating the second regions in a first direction and second portions separating the second regions in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second portions are arranged such that a longest second region in the edge area is at most half as long as a dimension of the edge area parallel to the longest second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Armin Willmeroth, Franz Hirler, Hans Weber, Markus Schmitt, Thomas Wahls, Rolf Weis
  • Publication number: 20150280198
    Abstract: A battery element includes a substrate with a plurality of trenches extending into the substrate. At least a part of each trench of the plurality of trenches is filled with a solid state battery structure. Further, the battery element includes a front side battery element electrode arranged at a front side of the substrate and electrically connected to a first electrode layer of the solid state battery structures within the plurality of trenches. Additionally, the battery element includes a backside battery element electrode arranged at a backside of the substrate and electrically connected to a second electrode layer of the solid state battery structures within the plurality of trenches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Marko Lemke
  • Publication number: 20150280271
    Abstract: A method for forming a battery element includes etching trenches into a substrate and crystal orientation dependent etching of the trenches. Further, the method includes forming solid state battery structures within the trenches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Marko Lemke
  • Publication number: 20150256163
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement includes a first semiconductor device having a load path and a number of second semiconductor devices. Each second semiconductor device has a control terminal and a load path between a first load terminal and a second load terminal. The second semiconductor devices have their load paths connected in series and connected in series with the load path of the first semiconductor device. Each of the second semiconductor devices has a load terminal of one of the first semiconductor device and of one of the second semiconductor devices associated thereto and a voltage limiting element coupled between the control terminal of one of the second semiconductor devices and the load terminal associated with that one of the second semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventor: Rolf Weis
  • Publication number: 20150243645
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device arrangement including a first semiconductor device having a load path, and a plurality of second transistors, each having a load path between a first and a second load terminal and a control terminal. The second transistors have their load paths connected in series and connected in series to the load path of the first transistor, each of the second transistors has its control terminal connected to the load terminal of one of the other second transistors, and one of the second transistors has its control terminal connected to one of the load terminals of the first semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Franz Hirler, Martin Feldtkeller, Gerald Deboy, Matthias Stecher, Armin Willmeroth
  • Publication number: 20150200605
    Abstract: A rectifier circuit includes first and second load terminals, a first semiconductor device having a load path and configured to receive a drive signal, and a plurality of second semiconductor devices each having a load path and each configured to receive a drive signal. The load paths of the second semiconductor devices are connected in series, and connected in series to the load path of the first semiconductor device. A series circuit with the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor devices is connected between the load terminals. Each of the second semiconductor devices is configured to receive as a drive voltage either a load-path voltage of at least one of the second semiconductor devices, or a load-path of at least the first semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device is configured to receive as a drive voltage a load-path-voltage of at least one of the second semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Inventors: Rolf Weis, Gerald Deboy
  • Publication number: 20150187654
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source zone of a first conductivity type formed in a first electrode fin that extends from a first surface into a semiconductor portion. A drain region of the first conductivity type is formed in a second electrode fin that extends from the first surface into the semiconductor portion. A channel/body zone is formed in a transistor fin that extends between the first and second electrode fins at a distance to the first surface. The first and second electrode fins extend along a first lateral direction. A width of first gate sections, which are arranged on opposing sides of the transistor fin, along a second lateral direction perpendicular to the first lateral direction is greater than a distance between the first and second electrode fins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Stefan Tegen, Marko Lemke, Rolf Weis