Patents by Inventor Stefan Kainz

Stefan Kainz 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).

  • Trench capacitor structure and process for applying a covering layer and a mask for trench etching processes in semiconductor substrates
    Patent number: 7547646
    Abstract: A stress relief layer between a single-crystal semiconductor substrate and a deposited silicon nitride layer or pad nitride is formed from thermally produced silicon nitride. The stress relief layer made from thermally produced silicon nitride replaces a silicon dioxide layer or pad oxide which is customary at this location for example in connection with mask layers. After patterning of a mask, which includes a protective layer portion formed from deposited silicon nitride, the material which is provided according to the invention for the stress relief layer reduces the restrictions imposed for subsequent process steps, such as for example wet-etching steps, acting both on the semiconductor substrate or structures in the semiconductor substrate and also on the stress relief layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Henry Bernhardt, Michael Stadtmüller, Olaf Storbeck, Stefan Kainz
  • Trench capacitor structure and process for applying a covering layer and a mask for trench etching processes in semiconductor substrates
    Publication number: 20050118777
    Abstract: A stress relief layer between a single-crystal semiconductor substrate and a deposited silicon nitride layer or pad nitride is formed from thermally produced silicon nitride. The stress relief layer made from thermally produced silicon nitride replaces a silicon dioxide layer or pad oxide which is customary at this location for example in connection with mask layers. After patterning of a mask, which includes a protective layer portion formed from deposited silicon nitride, the material which is provided according to the invention for the stress relief layer reduces the restrictions imposed for subsequent process steps, such as for example wet-etching steps, acting both on the semiconductor substrate or structures in the semiconductor substrate and also on the stress relief layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventors: Henry Bernhardt, Michael Stadtmuller, Olaf Storbeck, Stefan Kainz