Patents by Inventor William Gregg Hawkins

William Gregg Hawkins 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: 11417759
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device, having a semiconductor substrate comprising silicon carbide with a gate electrode disposed on a portion of the substrate on a first surface with, a drain electrode disposed on a second surface of the substrate. There is a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and a remedial layer disposed about the dielectric layer, wherein the remedial layer is configured to mitigate negative bias temperature instability maintaining a change in threshold voltage of less than about 1 volt. A source electrode is disposed on the remedial layer, wherein the source electrode is electrically coupled to a contact region of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen Daley Arthur, Joseph Darryl Michael, Tammy Lynn Johnson, David Alan Lilienfeld, Kevin Sean Matocha, Jody Alan Fronheiser, William Gregg Hawkins
  • Patent number: 10937869
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to wide band gap semiconductor power devices and, more specifically, to high-energy implantation masks used in forming silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, such as charge balanced (CB) SiC power devices. An intermediate semiconductor device structure includes a SiC substrate layer having a first conductivity type and silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial (epi) layer having the first conductivity type disposed on the SiC substrate layer. The intermediate device structure also includes a silicon high-energy implantation mask (SiHEIM) disposed directly on a first portion of the SiC epi layer and having a thickness between 5 micrometers (?m) and 20 ?m. The SiHEIM is configured to block implantation of the first portion of the SiC epi layer during a high-energy implantation process having an implantation energy greater than 500 kiloelectron volts (keV).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: William Gregg Hawkins, Reza Ghandi, Christopher Bauer, Shaoxin Lu
  • Publication number: 20200105879
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to wide band gap semiconductor power devices and, more specifically, to high-energy implantation masks used in forming silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, such as charge balanced (CB) SiC power devices. An intermediate semiconductor device structure includes a SiC substrate layer having a first conductivity type and silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial (epi) layer having the first conductivity type disposed on the SiC substrate layer. The intermediate device structure also includes a silicon high-energy implantation mask (SiHEIM) disposed directly on a first portion of the SiC epi layer and having a thickness between 5 micrometers (?m) and 20 ?m. The SiHEIM is configured to block implantation of the first portion of the SiC epi layer during a high-energy implantation process having an implantation energy greater than 500 kiloelectron volts (keV).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: William Gregg Hawkins, Reza Ghandi, Christopher Bauer, Shaoxin Lu
  • Publication number: 20190363183
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device, having a semiconductor substrate comprising silicon carbide with a gate electrode disposed on a portion of the substrate on a first surface with, a drain electrode disposed on a second surface of the substrate. There is a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and a remedial layer disposed about the dielectric layer, wherein the remedial layer is configured to mitigate negative bias temperature instability maintaining a change in threshold voltage of less than about 1 volt. A source electrode is disposed on the remedial layer, wherein the source electrode is electrically coupled to a contact region of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen Daley Arthur, Joseph Darryl Michael, Tammy Lynn Johnson, David Alan Lilienfeld, Kevin Sean Matocha, Jody Alan Fronheiser, William Gregg Hawkins
  • Patent number: 10367089
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device, having a semiconductor substrate comprising silicon carbide with a gate electrode disposed on a portion of the substrate on a first surface with, a drain electrode disposed on a second surface of the substrate. There is a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and a remedial layer disposed about the dielectric layer, wherein the remedial layer is configured to mitigate negative bias temperature instability maintaining a change in threshold voltage of less than about 1 volt. A source electrode is disposed on the remedial layer, wherein the source electrode is electrically coupled to a contact region of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Stephen Daley Arthur, Joseph Darryl Michael, Tammy Lynn Johnson, David Alan Lilienfeld, Kevin Sean Matocha, Jody Alan Fronheiser, William Gregg Hawkins
  • Publication number: 20130075756
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device, having a semiconductor substrate comprising silicon carbide with a gate electrode disposed on a portion of the substrate on a first surface with, a drain electrode disposed on a second surface of the substrate. There is a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and a remedial layer disposed about the dielectric layer, wherein the remedial layer is configured to mitigate negative bias temperature instability maintaining a change in threshold voltage of less than about 1 volt. A source electrode is disposed on the remedial layer, wherein the source electrode is electrically coupled to a contact region of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Stephen Daley Arthur, Joseph Darryl Michael, Tammy Lynn Johnson, David Alan Lilienfeld, Kevin Sean Matocha, Jody Alan Fronheiser, William Gregg Hawkins
  • Patent number: 8377812
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of fabricating a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor. The method includes the steps of forming a source region on a silicon carbide layer and annealing the source region. A gate oxide layer is formed on the source region and the silicon carbide layer. The method further includes providing a gate electrode on the gate oxide layer and disposing a dielectric layer on the gate electrode and the gate oxide layer. The method further includes etching a portion of the dielectric layer and a portion of the gate oxide layer to form sidewalls on the gate electrode. A metal layer is disposed on the gate electrode, the sidewalls and the source region. The method further includes forming a gate contact and a source contact by subjecting the metal layer to a temperature of at least about 800° C. The gate contact and the source contact comprise a metal silicide. The distance between the gate contact and the source contact is less than about 0.6 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Sean Matocha, Gregory Keith Dudoff, William Gregg Hawkins, Zachary Matthew Stum, Stephen Daley Arthur, Dale Marius Brown
  • Publication number: 20090242901
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of fabricating a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor. The method includes the steps of forming a source region on a silicon carbide layer and annealing the source region. A gate oxide layer is formed on the source region and the silicon carbide layer. The method further includes providing a gate electrode on the gate oxide layer and disposing a dielectric layer on the gate electrode and the gate oxide layer. The method further includes etching a portion of the dielectric layer and a portion of the gate oxide layer to form sidewalls on the gate electrode. A metal layer is disposed on the gate electrode, the sidewalls and the source region. The method further includes forming a gate contact and a source contact by subjecting the metal layer to a temperature of at least about 800° C. The gate contact and the source contact comprise a metal silicide. The distance between the gate contact and the source contact is less than about 0.6 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kevin Sean Matocha, Gregory Keith Dudoff, William Gregg Hawkins, Zachary Matthew Stum, Stephen Daley Arthur, Dale Marius Brown