Patents by Inventor Thomas Straubinger

Thomas Straubinger 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: 9590046
    Abstract: A method is used for producing an SiC volume monocrystal by sublimation growth. During growth, by sublimation of a powdery SiC source material and by transport of the sublimated gaseous components into the crystal growth region, an SiC growth gas phase is produced there. The SiC volume monocrystal grows by deposition from the SiC growth gas phase on the SiC seed crystal. The SiC seed crystal is bent during a heating phase before such that an SiC crystal structure with a non-homogeneous course of lattice planes is adjusted, the lattice planes at each point have an angle of inclination relative to the direction of the center longitudinal axis and peripheral angles of inclination at a radial edge of the SiC seed crystal differ in terms of amount by at least 0.05° and at most by 0.2° from a central angle of inclination at the site of the center longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: SiCrystal Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Straubinger, Michael Vogel, Andreas Wohlfart
  • Patent number: 8865324
    Abstract: A method is used to produce a bulk SiC single crystal. A seed crystal is arranged in a crystal growth region of a growing crucible. An SiC growth gas phase is produced in the crystal growth region. The bulk SiC single crystal having a central longitudinal mid-axis grows by deposition from the SiC growth gas phase, the deposition taking place on a growth interface of the growing bulk SiC single crystal. The SiC growth gas phase is at least partially fed from an SiC source material and contains at least one dopant from the group of nitrogen, aluminum, vanadium and boron. At least in a central main growth region of the growth interface arranged about the longitudinal mid-axis, a lateral temperature gradient of at most 2 K/cm measured perpendicular to the longitudinal mid-axis is adjusted and maintained in this range. The bulk SiC single crystal has a large facet region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Sicrystal AG
    Inventors: Thomas Straubinger, Michael Vogel, Andreas Wohlfart
  • Patent number: 8758510
    Abstract: A method is used for producing an SiC volume monocrystal by sublimation growth. During growth, by sublimation of a powdery SiC source material and by transport of the sublimated gaseous components into the crystal growth region, an SiC growth gas phase is produced there. The SiC volume monocrystal grows by deposition from the SiC growth gas phase on the SiC seed crystal. The SiC seed crystal is bent during a heating phase before such that an SiC crystal structure with a non-homogeneous course of lattice planes is adjusted, the lattice planes at each point have an angle of inclination relative to the direction of the center longitudinal axis and peripheral angles of inclination at a radial edge of the SiC seed crystal differ in terms of amount by at least 0.05° and at most by 0.2° from a central angle of inclination at the site of the center longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: SiCrystal Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Straubinger, Michael Vogel, Andreas Wohlfart
  • Patent number: 8747982
    Abstract: A method is used for producing an SiC volume monocrystal by sublimation growth. Before the beginning of growth, an SiC seed crystal is arranged in a crystal growth region of a growth crucible and powdery SiC source material is introduced into an SiC storage region of the growth crucible. During the growth, by sublimation of the powdery SiC source material and by transport of the sublimated gaseous components into the crystal growth region, an SiC growth gas phase is produced there. The SiC volume monocrystal having a central center longitudinal axis grows by deposition from the SiC growth gas phase on the SiC seed crystal. The SiC seed crystal is heated substantially without bending during a heating phase before the beginning of growth, so that an SiC crystal structure with a substantially homogeneous course of lattice planes is provided in the SiC seed crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: SiCrystal Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Straubinger, Michael Vogel, Andreas Wohlfart
  • Patent number: 8303924
    Abstract: A bulk AlN single crystal is grown on a monocrystalline AlN seed crystal having a central longitudinal mid-axis and disposed in a crystal growth region of a growing crucible. The bulk AlN single crystal grows in a growth direction oriented parallel to the longitudinal mid-axis by deposition on the AlN seed crystal. The crucible has a lateral crucible inner wall extending in the growth direction, a free space being provided between the AlN seed crystal and the growing bulk AlN single crystal on the one hand, and the lateral crucible inner wall on the other hand. Bulk AlN single crystals and monocrystalline AlN substrates produced therefrom are therefore obtained with only few dislocations, which furthermore are substantially distributed homogeneously. The growing crucible, inside which the crystal growth region is located, is an inner growing crucible which is arranged in an outer growing crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: SiCrystal AG
    Inventors: Ralph-Uwe Barz, Thomas Straubinger
  • Publication number: 20100255305
    Abstract: A bulk AlN single crystal is grown on a monocrystalline AlN seed crystal having a central longitudinal mid-axis and disposed in a crystal growth region of a growing crucible. The bulk AlN single crystal grows in a growth direction oriented parallel to the longitudinal mid-axis by deposition on the AlN seed crystal. The crucible has a lateral crucible inner wall extending in the growth direction, a free space being provided between the AlN seed crystal and the growing bulk AlN single crystal on the one hand, and the lateral crucible inner wall on the other hand. Bulk AlN single crystals and monocrystalline AlN substrates produced therefrom are therefore obtained with only few dislocations, which furthermore are substantially distributed homogeneously. The growing crucible, inside which the crystal growth region is located, is an inner growing crucible which is arranged in an outer growing crucible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: SICRYSTAL AG
    Inventors: Ralph-Uwe Barz, Thomas Straubinger
  • Publication number: 20100175614
    Abstract: A configuration for producing a bulk SiC crystal includes a growing crucible having an electrically conductive crucible wall, an inductive heating device disposed outside the growing crucible for inductively coupling an electric current, which heats the growing crucible, into the crucible wall, and an insulation layer disposed between the crucible wall and the inductive heating device. The insulation layer is formed of a graphite insulation material having short carbon fibers with a fiber length in a range of between 1 mm and 10 mm and a fiber diameter in a range of between 0.1 mm and 1 mm. A method for producing a bulk SiC crystal is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: SICRYSTAL AG
    Inventor: Thomas Straubinger
  • Publication number: 20100159182
    Abstract: A method is used for producing a bulk SiC crystal having a resistivity of at least 1012 ?cm and a diameter of at least 7.62 cm. An SiC growth gas phase is generated in a crystal growth region. The bulk SiC crystal grows by deposition from the SiC growth gas phase. The SiC growth gas phase is fed from an SiC source material, which is contained in an SiC supply region inside the growing crucible. First dopants which have a flat dopant level at a distance of at most 350 meV from an SiC band edge, and second dopants which have a low-lying dopant level at a distance of at least 500 meV from the SiC band edge, are delivered in gaseous form to the crystal growth region. Bulk SiC crystals are thereby obtained, and large-area SiC substrates obtained therefrom whose resistivity is at least 1012 ?cm everywhere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: SICRYSTAL AG
    Inventors: Thomas Straubinger, Andreas Wohlfart, Martin Kölbl