Patents by Inventor Ty R. McNutt

Ty R. McNutt 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: 8278666
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a high purity 2H-SiC composition and methods for making same. The embodiments represented herein apply to both thin film and bulk growth of 2H-SiC. According to one embodiment, the disclosure relates to doping an underlying substrate or support layer with one or more surfactants to nucleate and grow high purity 2H-SiC. In another embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for preparing 2H-SiC compositions by nucleating 2H-SiC on another SiC polytype using one or more surfactants. The surfactants can include AlN, Te, Sb and similar compositions. These nucleate SiC into disc form which changes to hexagonal 2H-SiC material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Narsingh B. Singh, Sean R. McLaughlin, Thomas J. Knight, Robert M. Young, Brian P. Wagner, David A. Kahler, Andre E. Berghmans, David J. Knuteson, Ty R. McNutt, Jerry W. Hedrick, Jr., George M. Bates, Kenneth Petrosky
  • Patent number: 7982239
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a integrated semiconductor device includes a first Vertical Junction Field Effect Transistor (VJFET) having a source, and a gate disposed on each side of the first VJFET source, and a second VJFET transistor having a source, and a gate disposed on each side of the second VJFET source. At least one gate of the first VJFET is separated from at least one gate of the second VJFET by a channel. The integrated semiconductor device also includes a Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) diode positioned between the first and second VJFETs. The JBS diode comprises a metal contact that forms a rectifying contact to the channel and a non-rectifying contact to at least one gate of the first and second VJFETs, and the metal contact is an anode of the JBS diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Ty R. McNutt, Eric J. Stewart, Rowland C. Clarke, Ranbir Singh, Stephen Van Campen, Marc E. Sherwin
  • Patent number: 7800196
    Abstract: An exemplary edge termination structure maintains the breakdown voltage of the semiconductor device after it has been sawed off the wafer and packaged by creating an electric field stop layer at a periphery of the semiconductor device. The electric field stop layer has a dopant concentration higher than that of the layer in which an edge termination is implemented, such as a drift layer or a channel layer. The electric field stop layer may be created by selectively masking the peripheries of the device during the device processing, i.e., mesa etch, to protect and preserve the highly doped material at the peripheries of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: John Victor D. Veliadis, Ty R. McNutt
  • Patent number: 7782118
    Abstract: A gate drive circuit for a wide bandgap semiconductor junction gated transistor includes a gate current limit resistor. The gate current limit resistor is coupled to a gate input of the wide bandgap semiconductor junction gated transistor when in use and limits a gate current provided to the gate input of the junction gated transistor. An AC-coupled charging capacitor is also included in the gate drive circuit. The AC-coupled charging capacitor is coupled to the gate input of the wide bandgap semiconductor junction gated transistor when in use and is positioned parallel to the gate current limit resistor. A diode is coupled to the gate current limit resistor and the AC-coupled charging capacitor on one end and an output of a gate drive chip on the other end When in use, the diode lowers a gate voltage output from the gate drive chip applied to the gate input of the wide bandgap semiconductor junction gated transistor through the gate current limit resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: John Vincent Reichl, David Everett Bulgher, Ty R. McNutt
  • Patent number: 7719055
    Abstract: A normally-off cascode power switch circuit is disclosed fabricated in wide bandgap semiconductor material such as silicon carbide or gallium nitride and which is capable of conducting current in the forward and reverse direction under the influence of a positive gate bias. The switch includes cascoded junction field effect transistors (JFETs) that enable increased gain, and hence blocking voltage, while minimizing specific on-resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Ty R. McNutt, John V. Reichl, Harold C. Heame, III, Eric J. Stewart, Stephen D. Van Campen, Victor D. Veliadis
  • Publication number: 20100078755
    Abstract: An exemplary edge termination structure maintains the breakdown voltage of the semiconductor device after it has been sawed off the wafer and packaged by creating an electric field stop layer at a periphery of the semiconductor device. The electric field stop layer has a dopant concentration higher than that of the layer in which an edge termination is implemented, such as a drift layer or a channel layer. The electric field stop layer may be created by selectively masking the peripheries of the device during the device processing, i.e., mesa etch, to protect and preserve the highly doped material at the peripheries of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: John Victor Veliadis, Ty R. McNutt
  • Publication number: 20090179297
    Abstract: A junction barrier Schottky device includes a semiconductor substrate with basal, drift, and channel regions doped to a first conductivity type. The channel region is more highly doped than the drift region, and a blocking region doped to a second conductivity type is disposed at least partly around the channel region. A Schottky barrier is formed on and in contact with the channel and blocking regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric J. STEWART, Ty R. McNUTT, Rowland C. CLARKE
  • Publication number: 20080308838
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a integrated semiconductor device includes a first Vertical Junction Field Effect Transistor (VJFET) having a source, and a gate disposed on each side of the first VJFET source, and a second VJFET transistor having a source, and a gate disposed on each side of the second VJFET source. At least one gate of the first VJFET is separated from at least one gate of the second VJFET by a channel. The integrated semiconductor device also includes a Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) diode positioned between the first and second VJFETs. The JBS diode comprises a metal contact that forms a rectifying contact to the channel and a non-rectifying contact to at least one gate of the first and second VJFETs, and the metal contact is an anode of the JBS diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Inventors: Ty R. McNutt, Eric J. Stewart, Rowland C. Clarke, Ranbir Singh, Stephen Van Campen, Marc E. Sherwin
  • Publication number: 20080265980
    Abstract: A gate drive circuit for a wide bandgap semiconductor junction gated transistor includes a gate current limit resistor. The gate current limit resistor is coupled to a gate input of the wide bandgap semiconductor junction gated transistor when in use and limits a gate current provided to the gate input of the junction gated transistor. An AC-coupled charging capacitor is also included in the gate drive circuit. The AC-coupled charging capacitor is coupled to the gate input of the wide bandgap semiconductor junction gated transistor when in use and is positioned parallel to the gate current limit resistor. A diode is coupled to the gate current limit resistor and the AC-coupled charging capacitor on one end and an output of a gate drive chip on the other end When in use, the diode lowers a gate voltage output from the gate drive chip applied to the gate input of the wide bandgap semiconductor junction gated transistor through the gate current limit resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: John Vincent Reichl, David Everett Bulgher, Ty R. McNutt
  • Publication number: 20080157117
    Abstract: A insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) having an enhanced modulation layer provides reduced on-state power dissipation and better conductivity modulation than conventional devices. The IGBT includes an enhanced modulation layer disposed within a portion of the n? doped drift layer, in a n-type device, or p? doped drift layer, in a p-type device. The enhanced modulation layer contains a higher carrier concentration than the n? or p? doped drift layer. If the IGBT device is in an on state, the enhanced modulation layer decreases a size of a depletion region formed around the p well body region or n well body region. In a n-type enhanced modulation layer IGBT, electrons, traveling from the n+ region towards the emitter, are spread laterally and uniformly in the n? doped drift layer. In a p-type enhanced modulation layer IGBT, holes, traveling from the p+ region towards the emitter, are spread laterally and uniformly in the p? doped drift layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Ty R. McNutt, Ginger G. Walden, Marc E. Sherwin