Patents by Inventor Stephan Wirths

Stephan Wirths 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: 20240132144
    Abstract: A steering gear for an electromechanical steering system for a vehicle includes an input shaft that can be coupled or connected to a steering column of the steering system, a segment shaft that can be coupled or connected to a steering column lever of the steering system, an angular gear, a servo gear, and an electric motor for driving the servo gear. The angular gear is designed as a bevel gear. The input shaft and the electric motor are connected to the servo gear. The servo gear is connected to the angular gear. The angular gear is connected to the segment shaft. The angular gear is formed to transmit torque from the servo gear to the segment shaft via two transmission paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Christian WIRTH, Franz-Thomas MITTERER, Janos TOTH, Sven KRUEGER, Ahmed SALEME, Huba NEMETH, Stephan KRINKE
  • Patent number: 11967616
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vertical silicon carbide power MOSFET with a 4H-SiC substrate of n+-type as drain and a 4H-Si C epilayer of n?-type, epitaxially grown on the 4H-SiC substrate acting as drift region and a source region of p++-type, a well region of p-type, a channel region of p-type and a contact region of n++-type implanted into the drift region and a metal gate insulated from the source and drift region by a gate-oxide. A high mobility layer with a vertical thickness in a range 0.1 nm to 50 nm exemplarily in the range of 0.5 nm to 10 nm is provided at the interface between the 4H-SiC epilayer and the gate-oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Energy Ltd
    Inventors: Stephan Wirths, Andrei Mihaila, Lars Knoll
  • Publication number: 20240079454
    Abstract: A silicon carbide power device having a low on-resistance Ron and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The silicon carbide power device comprises a first conductivity-type substrate, a plurality of silicon carbide layer stacks, a continuous insulating layer and a gate electrode layer. Each silicon carbide layer stack comprises the following layers stacked on the substrate: a first conductivity-type drain layer, a second conductivity-type channel layer and a first conductivity-type source layer. A plurality of first insulating layer portions laterally cover and surround at least the drain layer and the channel layer of each silicon carbide layer stack. Each point of each channel layer is laterally sandwiched between two opposing portions of the gate electrode layer, wherein the two opposing portions have a distance (d) of less than 2 ?m along a straight line extending through that point of that channel layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Stephan WIRTHS, Lars KNOLL
  • Publication number: 20240055495
    Abstract: Semiconductor device having first and second main electrodes with gate electrode layer inbetween, semiconductor layer stack between and in electrical contact with the first and second main electrodes having differently doped semiconductor layers. At least two semiconductor layers differ in their conductivity type and/or their doping concentration. Pillar-shaped or fin-shaped regions run through the gate electrode layer, each having a contact layer arranged at the first main electrode with a first doping concentration and a first conductivity type. Each contact layer extends to a side of the gate electrode layer facing the first main electrode, the contact layers of adjacent pillar-shaped or fin-shaped regions merge on the side of the gate electrode layer facing the first main electrode so that the contact layers of adjacent pillar-shaped or fin-shaped regions are arranged continuously on the side of the gate electrode layer facing the first main electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Stephan WIRTHS, Lars KNOLL, Andrei Amadeus MIHAILA
  • Publication number: 20230411510
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the power field-effect transistor (1) comprises: at least two source regions (21) at a top side (20) of a semiconductor body (2), a drain region (22) at a back side (23) of the semiconductor body (2), at least two charge barrier regions (24) in the semiconductor body (2) so that electrically between each one of the source regions (21) and the drain region (22) there is one of the charge barrier regions (24), and a gate electrode (3) located in a trench (4) in the semiconductor body (2), and the charge barrier regions (24) are located adjacent to the trench (4), wherein, next to the trench (4) and seen in a first plane (A) perpendicular with the top side (21) and a main elongation direction (L) of the trench (4), the top side (21) is formed only by the source regions (21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Stephan WIRTHS, Lars KNOLL, Lukas KRANZ
  • Publication number: 20230411514
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, the power semiconductor device 1) involves a semiconductor body (2), at least one source region (21) in the semiconductor body (2), a gate electrode (3) at the semiconductor body (2), a gate insulator (4, 41, 42) between the semiconductor body (2) and the gate electrode (3), and at least one well region (22) at the at least one source region (21) and at the gate insulator (4, 41, 42), wherein the gate insulator (4, 41, 42) has a varying dielectric capacitance, the dielectric capacitance is in each case a quotient of a dielectric constant and of a geometric thickness of the gate insulator (4, 41, 42) at a specific location thereof, and the dielectric capacitance is larger at the at least one well region (22) than in remaining regions of the gate insulator (4, 42).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Gianpaolo ROMANO, Lars KNOLL, Yulieth ARANGO, Stephan WIRTHS, Andrei MIHAILA
  • Publication number: 20230187525
    Abstract: An insulated gate structure includes a wide bandgap material layer having a channel region of a first conductivity type. A gate insulating layer is arranged directly on the channel region and has a first nitride layer that is arranged directly on the channel region. The gate insulating layer has a concentration of carbon atoms that is less than 1018 atoms/cm?3 at a distance of 3 nm from an interface between the wide bandgap material layer and the first nitride layer. An electrically conductive gate electrode layer overlies the gate insulating layer so that the gate electrode layer is separated from the wide bandgap material layer by the gate insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Lars Knoll, Stephan Wirths, Andrei Mihaila
  • Publication number: 20220302309
    Abstract: A SiC transistor device includes a SiC semiconductor substrate, a SiC epitaxial layer formed on the top surface of the SiC semiconductor substrate, a source structure formed in the top surface of the SiC epitaxial layer, a source contact structure electrically coupled to the top surface of the source structure, and a gate structure that includes a gate dielectric, a metal gate, and a gate insulation. A first backside metal contact is formed on the bottom surface of the SiC semiconductor substrate, a stress inducing layer is formed on the first backside metal contact, and a second backside metal contact is formed on the stress inducing layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Stephan Wirths, Lars Knoll
  • Publication number: 20220278205
    Abstract: A silicon carbide transistor device includes a silicon carbide semiconductor and a silicon carbide epitaxial layer formed at a top surface of the substrate. A source structure is formed in a top surface of the silicon carbide epitaxial layer and includes a p-well region, an n-type source region and a p-type contact region. A source contact structure is formed over and electrically connected to a top surface of the source structure. A planar gate structure includes a gate dielectric and a gate runner adjacent a p-type channel region. The gate dielectric covers the channel region, at least part of the source structure and at least part of the source contact structure. The gate runner is electrically insulated from the channel region and the source structure and the source contact structure by the gate dielectric and overlaps the channel region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Marco Bellini, Lars Knoll, Stephan Wirths
  • Publication number: 20220028976
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vertical silicon carbide power MOSFET with a 4H-SiC substrate of n+-type as drain and a 4H-Si C epilayer of n?-type, epitaxially grown on the 4H-SiC substrate acting as drift region and a source region of p++-type, a well region of p-type, a channel region of p-type and a contact region of n++-type implanted into the drift region and a metal gate insulated from the source and drift region by a gate-oxide. A high mobility layer with a vertical thickness in a range 0.1 nm to 50 nm exemplarily in the range of 0.5 nm to 10 nm is provided at the interface between the 4H-SiC epilayer and the gate-oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Stephan Wirths, Andrei Mihaila, Lars Knoll
  • Publication number: 20210210348
    Abstract: A method for depositing a monocrystalline semiconductor layer consisting of a first element and a second element, wherein the first elements is fed as part of a hydride, and the second element is fed as part of a halide, together with a carrier gas, into a process chamber of a reactor, wherein radicals are produced from the hydride at a distance away from a surface of a semiconductor substrate, wherein at a temperature below a decomposition temperature of the radicals, at a total pressure of the gas in the process chamber sufficiently low to avoid a reverse reaction of the radicals in the gas phase the radicals and the halide are brought to the surface of the semiconductor substrate which is heated to a substrate temperature lower than the decomposition temperature, wherein heat released during a first exothermic chemical reaction drives a second endothermic chemical reaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Detlev Grützmacher, Stephan Wirths, Dan Mihai Buca, Siegfried Mantl
  • Patent number: 10988858
    Abstract: A method for monolithically depositing a monocrystalline IV-IV layer that glows when excited and that is composed of a plurality of elements of the IV main group, in particular a GeSn or Si—GeSn layer, the IV-IV layer having a dislocation density less than 6 cm?2, on an IV substrate, in particular a silicon or germanium substrate, including the following steps: providing a hydride of a first IV element (A), such as Ge2H6 or Si2H6; providing a halide of a second IV element (B), such as SnCl4; heating the substrate to a substrate temperature that is less than the decomposition temperature of the pure hydride or of a radical formed therefrom and is sufficiently high that atoms of the first element (A) and of the second element (B) are integrated into the surface in crystalline order, wherein the substrate temperature lies, in particular, in a range between 300° C. and 475° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
    Inventors: Detlev Grützmacher, Stephan Wirths, Dan Mihai Buca, Siegfried Mantl
  • Patent number: 10965101
    Abstract: A plasmonic quantum well laser may be provided. The plasmonic quantum well laser includes a plasmonic waveguide and a p-n junction structure extends orthogonally to a direction of plasmon propagation along the plasmonic waveguide. Thereby, the p-n junction is positioned atop a dielectric material having a lower refractive index than material building the p-n junction, and the quantum well laser is electrically actuated. A method for building the plasmonic quantum well laser is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Heinz Schmid, Benedikt F. Mayer, Stephan Wirths, Kirsten Emilie Moselund
  • Publication number: 20200083667
    Abstract: A plasmonic quantum well laser may be provided. The plasmonic quantum well laser includes a plasmonic waveguide and a p-n junction structure extends orthogonally to a direction of plasmon propagation along the plasmonic waveguide. Thereby, the p-n junction is positioned atop a dielectric material having a lower refractive index than material building the p-n junction, and the quantum well laser is electrically actuated. A method for building the plasmonic quantum well laser is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Heinz Schmid, Benedikt F. Mayer, Stephan Wirths, Kirsten Emilie Moselund
  • Patent number: 10566764
    Abstract: A plasmonic quantum well laser may be provided. The plasmonic quantum well laser includes a plasmonic waveguide and a p-n junction structure extends orthogonally to a direction of plasmon propagation along the plasmonic waveguide. Thereby, the p-n junction is positioned atop a dielectric material having a lower refractive index than material building the p-n junction, and the quantum well laser is electrically actuated. A method for building the plasmonic quantum well laser is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Heinz Schmid, Benedikt F. Mayer, Stephan Wirths, Kirsten Emilie Moselund
  • Patent number: 10539960
    Abstract: A method for autonomous map generation by a robot comprising: instructing the robot to traverse a route within an environment in which the robot is deployed; while following the route, causing the robot to collect sensor data to identify features in the environment and to generate an initial map of areas in environment that have been traversed; upon completion of the route, autonomously generating a map of valid areas of the environment by moving throughout the environment while collecting sensor data; while autonomously generating the map, determining that a particular area is potentially invalid by detecting features that are previously unknown to the robot; generating and providing an electronic message to an operator of the robot comprising sensor data of the particular area and a prompt requesting information indicating whether the particular area is valid or invalid; upon receiving a response from the operator, continuing autonomously generating the map according to the response wherein if the particula
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SAVIOKE, INC.
    Inventors: Robert S. Bauer, Alain Minier, Stephan Wirth, Lucas Chiesa, Christian Fritz, Adrian Canoso
  • Publication number: 20190386453
    Abstract: A plasmonic quantum well laser may be provided. The plasmonic quantum well laser includes a plasmonic waveguide and a p-n junction structure extends orthogonally to a direction of plasmon propagation along the plasmonic waveguide. Thereby, the p-n junction is positioned atop a dielectric material having a lower refractive index than material building the p-n junction, and the quantum well laser is electrically actuated. A method for building the plasmonic quantum well laser is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Heinz Schmid, Benedikt F. Mayer, Stephan Wirths, Kirsten Emilie Moselund
  • Patent number: 10365660
    Abstract: A method for autonomous sensor data collection by a robot comprising: receiving, at the robot, a digitally stored initial map representing a plurality of locations within an environment, wherein each location of the plurality of locations is associated with first sensor data; determining, based on the initial map and one or more stored parameters, whether one or more portions of the initial map should be updated; in response to determining one or more portions of the initial map should be updated, the robot calculating a route to one or more target locations corresponding to the one or more portions of the initial map, and the robot physically traversing the environment on the route; during traversal of the route, collecting second sensor data from one or more sensors of the robot at each target location of the one or more target locations; generating updated map data associating each target location of the one or more locations with respective updated sensor data based on the second sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Savioke, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan Wirth, Phil Herget, Steve Cousins
  • Publication number: 20190129444
    Abstract: A method for autonomous sensor data collection by a robot comprising: receiving, at the robot, a digitally stored initial map representing a plurality of locations within an environment, wherein each location of the plurality of locations is associated with first sensor data; determining, based on the initial map and one or more stored parameters, whether one or more portions of the initial map should be updated; in response to determining one or more portions of the initial map should be updated, the robot calculating a route to one or more target locations corresponding to the one or more portions of the initial map, and the robot physically traversing the environment on the route; during traversal of the route, collecting second sensor data from one or more sensors of the robot at each target location of the one or more target locations; generating updated map data associating each target location of the one or more locations with respective updated sensor data based on the second sensor data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: Savioke, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan Wirth, Phil Herget, Steve Cousins
  • Publication number: 20180314254
    Abstract: A method for autonomous map generation by a robot comprising: instructing the robot to traverse a route within an environment in which the robot is deployed; while following the route, causing the robot to collect sensor data to identify features in the environment and to generate an initial map of areas in environment that have been traversed; upon completion of the route, autonomously generating a map of valid areas of the environment by moving throughout the environment while collecting sensor data; while autonomously generating the map, determining that a particular area is potentially invalid by detecting features that are previously unknown to the robot; generating and providing an electronic message to an operator of the robot comprising sensor data of the particular area and a prompt requesting information indicating whether the particular area is valid or invalid; upon receiving a response from the operator, continuing autonomously generating the map according to the response wherein if the particula
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: Savioke, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert S. Bauer, Alain Minier, Stephan Wirth, Lucas Chiesa, Christian Fritz, Adrian Canoso