Patents by Inventor Scott Sheppard

Scott Sheppard 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: 20240120202
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices are provided. In one example, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor structure having a buried layer at a depth of about 275 Angstroms or greater (e.g., about 500 Angstroms or greater) from a surface of the semiconductor structure. The semiconductor device includes an implanted region extending at least partially through the semiconductor structure and into the buried layer. The implanted region includes a distribution of implanted dopants of a first conductivity type extending into the buried layer. The semiconductor device includes an electrode on the implanted region. In some examples, the semiconductor structure may include an N-polar Group III-nitride semiconductor structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Scott Sheppard, Kyle Bothe, Chris Michael Hardiman
  • Publication number: 20240105823
    Abstract: Transistor devices are provided. In one example, the transistor device includes a channel layer. The transistor device includes a multilayer barrier structure on the channel layer. The multilayer barrier structure includes a first Group III-nitride layer and a second Group III-nitride layer on the first Group III-nitride layer and opposite to the channel layer. The first Group III-nitride layer has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second Group III-nitride layer. An aluminum concentration of the first Group III-nitride layer is at least two times greater than an aluminum concentration of the second Group III-nitride layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Jia Guo, Kyle Bothe, Olof Tornblad, Scott Sheppard
  • Publication number: 20240063300
    Abstract: A high electron mobility transistor comprises a semiconductor layer structure that includes a channel layer and a barrier layer and source and drain contacts on the semiconductor layer structure. A gate contact and a multi-layer passivation structure are provided on the semiconductor layer structure between the source contact and the drain contact. The multi-layer passivation structure comprises at least first and second silicon nitride layers that have different material compositions. A spacer passivation layer is provided on sidewalls of the first and second silicon nitride layers. A material composition of the spacer passivation layer is different than a material composition of at least one of the layers of the multi-layer passivation structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Kyle Bothe, Chris Hardiman, Elizabeth Keenan, Jia Guo, Fabian Radulescu, Scott Sheppard
  • Patent number: 11869964
    Abstract: A transistor device includes a semiconductor epitaxial layer structure including a channel layer and a barrier layer on the channel layer, wherein the barrier layer has a higher bandgap than the channel layer. A modified access region is provided at an upper surface of the barrier layer opposite the channel layer. The modified access region includes a material having a lower surface barrier height than the barrier layer. A source contact and a drain contact are formed on the barrier layer, and a gate contact is formed between source contact and the drain contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyoung-Keun Lee, Fabian Radulescu, Scott Sheppard
  • Publication number: 20230420526
    Abstract: A transistor comprising an active region having a channel layer, with source and drain electrodes formed in contact with the active region and a gate formed between the source and drain electrodes and in contact with the active region. A spacer layer is on at least part of the surface of the plurality of active region between the gate and the drain electrode and between the gate and the source electrode. A field plate is on the spacer layer and extends on the spacer and over the active region toward the drain electrode. The field plate also extends on the spacer layer over the active region and toward the source electrode. At least one conductive path electrically connects the field plate to the source electrode or the gate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Yifeng Wu, Primit Parikh, Umesh Mishra, Scott Sheppard
  • Patent number: 11837457
    Abstract: RF transistor amplifiers an RF transistor amplifier die having a semiconductor layer structure, an interconnect structure having first and second opposing sides, wherein the first side of the interconnect structure is adjacent a surface of the RF transistor amplifier die such that the interconnect structure and the RF transistor amplifier die are in a stacked arrangement, and one or more circuit elements on the first and/or second side of the interconnect structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Basim Noori, Marvin Marbell, Scott Sheppard, Kwangmo Chris Lim, Alexander Komposch, Qianli Mu
  • Patent number: 11791385
    Abstract: A transistor comprising an active region having a channel layer, with source and drain electrodes formed in contact with the active region and a gate formed between the source and drain electrodes and in contact with the active region. A spacer layer is on at least part of the surface of the plurality of active region between the gate and the drain electrode and between the gate and the source electrode. A field plate is on the spacer layer and extends on the spacer and over the active region toward the drain electrode. The field plate also extends on the spacer layer over the active region and toward the source electrode. At least one conductive path electrically connects the field plate to the source electrode or the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Yifeng Wu, Primit Parikh, Umesh Mishra, Scott Sheppard
  • Patent number: 11791389
    Abstract: A gallium nitride-based RF transistor amplifier comprises a semiconductor layer structure comprising a barrier layer on a channel layer, first and second source/drain regions in the semiconductor layer structure, first and second source/drain contacts on the respective first and second source/drain regions, and a longitudinally-extending gate finger that is between the first and second source/drain contacts. The first and second source/drain contacts each has an inner sidewall that faces the gate finger and an opposed outer sidewall. The first source/drain region extends a first distance from a lower edge of the inner sidewall of the first source/drain contact towards the second source/drain region along a transverse axis that extends parallel to a plane defined by the upper surface of the semiconductor layer structure, and extends a second, smaller distance from a lower edge of the outer sidewall of the first source/drain contact away from the second source/drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Bothe, Jia Guo, Jeremy Fisher, Scott Sheppard
  • Publication number: 20230291367
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices are provided that include a Group III nitride-based semiconductor layer structure. A first metal layer is formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor layer structure, a first dielectric layer is formed on an upper surface of the first metal layer, and a second metal layer is formed on an upper surface of the first dielectric layer. The first metal layer, the first dielectric layer and the second metal layer form a first capacitor. A second dielectric layer is formed on an upper surface of the second metal layer, a third dielectric layer is formed on an upper surface of the second dielectric layer, and a third metal layer is formed on upper surfaces of the second and third dielectric layers. The second metal layer, the second dielectric layer and the third metal layer form a second capacitor that is stacked on the first capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Jeremy Fisher, Dan Namishia, Scott Sheppard
  • Patent number: 11749726
    Abstract: A transistor device includes a semiconductor layer, source and drain contacts on the semiconductor layer, a gate contact on the semiconductor layer between the source and drain contacts, and a field plate over the semiconductor layer between the gate contact and the drain contact. The transistor device includes a first electrical connection between the field plate and the source contact that is outside an active region of the transistor device, and a second electrical connection between the field plate and the source contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Bothe, Jeremy Fisher, Matt King, Jia Guo, Qianli Mu, Scott Sheppard
  • Publication number: 20230261054
    Abstract: A HEMT transistor has a semiconductor layer structure that comprises a Group III nitride-based channel layer and a higher bandgap Group III nitride-based barrier layer on the channel layer. A gate finger and first and second source/drain contacts are provided on the semiconductor layer structure. A first source/drain region is provided in the semiconductor layer structure that includes a first implanted region that is underneath the first source/drain contact and a first auxiliary implanted region. A depth of the first implanted region is at least twice a depth of the first auxiliary implanted a region. The first source/drain region extends inwardly a first distance from a lower edge of an inner sidewall of the first source/drain contact, and extends outwardly a second smaller distance from a lower edge of an outer sidewall of the first source/drain contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Kyle Bothe, Chloe Hawes, Jennifer Gao, Scott Sheppard
  • Publication number: 20230253490
    Abstract: A transistor device includes a plurality of gate fingers that extend in a first direction and are spaced apart from each other in a second direction, each of the gate fingers comprising at least spaced-apart and generally collinear first and second gate finger segments that are electrically connected to each other. The first gate finger segments are separated from the second gate finger segments in the first direction by a gap region that extends in the second direction. A resistor is disposed in the gap region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Jeremy Fisher, Scott Sheppard, Khaled Fayed, Simon Wood
  • Patent number: 11713725
    Abstract: A method for detecting blowout precursors in at least one gas turbine combustor comprising: receiving combustion dynamics acoustic data measured by an acoustic measuring device associated with the combustor in real time; performing wavelet analysis on the acoustic data using simplified Mexican Hat wavelet transform analysis; and determining the existence of a blowout precursor based at least in part on the wavelet analysis. Provided also is a system and a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to perform the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonard Charles Angello, David Robert Noble, Andrew Mueller, John Alexander Miltner, Benjamin Emerson, Scott Sheppard, Jared Kee, Timothy Charles Lieuwen
  • Publication number: 20230197587
    Abstract: A transistor device includes a metal submount; a transistor die arranged on said metal submount; at least one integrated passive device (IPD) component that includes a substrate arranged on said metal submount; and one or more interconnects extending between the transistor die and the at least one integrated passive device (IPD) component. The substrate includes a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Donald FARRELL, Marvin MARBELL, Jeremy FISHER, Dan NAMISHIA, Scott SHEPPARD, Dan ETTER
  • Patent number: 11682634
    Abstract: A packaged electronic circuit includes a substrate having an upper surface, a first metal layer on the upper surface of the substrate, a first polymer layer on the first metal layer opposite the substrate, a second metal layer on the first polymer layer opposite the first metal layer, a dielectric layer on the first polymer layer and at least a portion of the second metal layer and a second polymer layer on the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Bothe, Dan Namishia, Fabian Radulescu, Scott Sheppard
  • Patent number: 11670605
    Abstract: A transistor amplifier includes a group III-nitride based amplifier die including a gate terminal, a drain terminal, and a source terminal on a first surface of the amplifier die and an interconnect structure electrically bonded to the gate terminal, drain terminal and source terminal of the amplifier die on the first surface of the amplifier die and electrically bonded to an input path and output path of the transistor amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Basim Noori, Marvin Marbell, Scott Sheppard, Kwangmo Chris Lim, Alexander Komposch, Qianli Mu
  • Patent number: 11658234
    Abstract: A transistor device includes a semiconductor epitaxial layer structure including a channel layer and a barrier layer on the channel layer, a source contact and a drain contact on the barrier layer, an insulating layer on the semiconductor layer between the source contact and the drain contact, and a gate contact on the insulating layer. The gate contact includes a central portion that extends through the insulating layer and contacts the barrier layer and a drain side wing that extends laterally from the central portion of the gate toward the drain contact by a distance ?D. The drain side wing of the gate contact is spaced apart from the barrier layer by a distance d1 that is equal to a thickness of the insulating layer. The distance ?D is less than about 0.3 ?m, and the distance d1 is less than about 80 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Bothe, Terry Alcorn, Dan Namishia, Jia Guo, Matt King, Saptharishi Sriram, Jeremy Fisher, Fabian Radulescu, Scott Sheppard, Yueying Liu
  • Patent number: 11652449
    Abstract: Gallium nitride based RF transistor amplifiers include a semiconductor structure having a gallium nitride based channel layer and a gallium nitride based barrier layer thereon, and are configured to operate at a specific direct current drain-to-source bias voltage. These amplifiers are configured to have a normalized drain-to-gate capacitance at the direct current drain-to-source bias voltage, and to have a second normalized drain-to-gate capacitance at two-thirds the direct current drain-to-source bias voltage, where the second normalized drain-to-gate capacitance is less than twice the first normalized drain-to-gate capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Qianli Mu, Zulhazmi Mokhti, Jia Guo, Scott Sheppard
  • Patent number: 11616136
    Abstract: A power amplifier comprising a GaN-based high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device, wherein a power added efficiency (PAE) of the power amplifier is greater than 32% at P1DB during operation of the power amplifier between 26.5 GHz and 30.5 GHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Bothe, Evan Jones, Dan Namishia, Chris Hardiman, Fabian Radulescu, Terry Alcorn, Scott Sheppard, Bruce Schmukler
  • Publication number: 20230075505
    Abstract: A radio frequency (“RF”) transistor amplifier die includes a semiconductor layer structure having a plurality of transistor cells, and an insulating layer on a surface of the semiconductor layer structure. Conductive pillar structures protrude from the insulating layer opposite the surface of the semiconductor layer structure, and are configured to provide input signal, output signal, or ground connections to the transistor cells. The ground connections are arranged between the input and/or output signal connections to the transistor cells. Related devices and packages are also discussed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Fabian Radulescu, Basim Noori, Scott Sheppard, Kwangmo Chris Lim