Patents by Inventor Yoichiro Mitani

Yoichiro Mitani 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: 11233126
    Abstract: A SiC epitaxial wafer includes a SiC substrate and a SiC epitaxial layer disposed on the SiC substrate. The SiC epitaxial layer includes a high carrier concentration layer and two low carrier concentration layers having lower carrier concentration than the high carrier concentration layer, and being in contact with a top surface and a bottom surface of the high carrier concentration layer to sandwich the high carrier concentration layer. A difference in carrier concentration between the high carrier concentration layer and the low carrier concentration layers is 5×1014/cm3 or more and 2×1016/cm3 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Sakai, Yoichiro Mitani
  • Patent number: 10964785
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to enhance the device yield of SiC epitaxial wafers. The SiC epitaxial wafer includes a drift layer which is a SiC epitaxial layer. The drift layer has a film thickness of 18 ?m or more and 350 ?m or less and has arithmetic average roughness of 0.60 nm or more and 3.00 nm or less, and the impurity concentration thereof is 1×1014/cm3 or more and 5×1015/cm3 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichiro Mitani, Yasuhiro Kimura, Akihito Ono
  • Patent number: 10950435
    Abstract: A SiC substrate (1) has an off angle ?°. A SiC epitaxial layer (2) having a film thickness of Tm ?m is provided on the SiC substrate (1). Triangular defects (3) are formed on a surface of the SiC epitaxial layer (2). A density of triangular defects (3) having a length of Tm/Tan ?×0.9 or more in a substrate off direction is denoted by A. A density of triangular (3) defects having a length smaller than Tm/Tan ?×0.9 in the substrate off direction is denoted by B. B/A?0.5 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Hamano, Akihito Ohno, Takuma Mizobe, Yasuhiro Kimura, Yoichiro Mitani
  • Patent number: 10910218
    Abstract: A SiC substrate (1) has an off angle ?°. A SiC epitaxial layer (2) having a film thickness of Tm ?m is provided on the SiC substrate (1). Triangular defects (3) are formed on a surface of the SiC epitaxial layer (2). A density of triangular defects (3) having a length of Tm/Tan ?×0.9 or more in a substrate off direction is denoted by A. A density of triangular (3) defects having a length smaller than Tm/Tan ?×0.9 in the substrate off direction is denoted by B. B/A?0.5 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Hamano, Akihito Ohno, Takuma Mizobe, Yasuhiro Kimura, Yoichiro Mitani
  • Patent number: 10858757
    Abstract: An epitaxial substrate includes a single-crystal substrate of silicon carbide, and an epitaxial layer of silicon carbide disposed on the single-crystal substrate. The epitaxial layer includes a first epitaxial layer disposed on the single-crystal substrate, a second epitaxial layer disposed on the first epitaxial layer, and a third epitaxial layer disposed on the second epitaxial layer. The first epitaxial layer has a basal-plane-dislocation conversion rate of less than 95%. The second epitaxial layer has a basal-plane-dislocation conversion rate of more than 98%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Tanaka, Shigehisa Yamamoto, Yu Nakamura, Yasuhiro Kimura, Shuhei Nakata, Yoichiro Mitani
  • Publication number: 20200321437
    Abstract: A silicon carbide epitaxial wafer includes a silicon carbide substrate and silicon carbide epitaxial layers formed on the silicon carbide substrate. Each of the silicon carbide epitaxial layers has a triangular defect. The silicon carbide epitaxial layer each have a step inside the triangular defect in the surface morphology of the triangular defect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi SAKAI, Yoichiro MITANI, Takuyo NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20200279922
    Abstract: A SiC epitaxial wafer includes a SiC substrate and a SiC epitaxial layer disposed on the SiC substrate. The SiC epitaxial layer includes a high carrier concentration layer and two low carrier concentration layers having lower carrier concentration than the high carrier concentration layer, and being in contact with a top surface and a bottom surface of the high carrier concentration layer to sandwich the high carrier concentration layer. A difference in carrier concentration between the high carrier concentration layer and the low carrier concentration layers is 5×1014/cm3 or more and 2×1016/cm3 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi SAKAI, Yoichiro MITANI
  • Patent number: 10707075
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer includes a silicon carbide substrate having a first carrier concentration, a carrier concentration transition layer, and an epitaxial layer provided on the carrier concentration transition layer, the epitaxial layer having a second carrier concentration, and the second carrier concentration being lower than the first carrier concentration. The carrier concentration transition layer has a concentration gradient in the thickness direction. The carrier concentration decreases as the film thickness increases from an interface between a layer directly below the carrier concentration transition layer and the carrier concentration transition layer, and the carrier concentration decreases at a lower rate of decrease as the film thickness of the carrier concentration transition layer increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Hamano, Akihito Ohno, Takuma Mizobe, Masashi Sakai, Yasuhiro Kimura, Yoichiro Mitani, Takashi Kanazawa
  • Publication number: 20200144053
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer includes a silicon carbide substrate having a first carrier concentration, a carrier concentration transition layer, and an epitaxial layer provided on the carrier concentration transition layer, the epitaxial layer having a second carrier concentration, and the second carrier concentration being lower than the first carrier concentration. The carrier concentration transition layer has a concentration gradient in the thickness direction. The carrier concentration decreases as the film thickness increases from an interface between a layer directly below the carrier concentration transition layer and the carrier concentration transition layer, and the carrier concentration decreases at a lower rate of decrease as the film thickness of the carrier concentration transition layer increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi HAMANO, Akihito OHNO, Takuma MIZOBE, Masashi SAKAI, Yasuhiro KIMURA, Yoichiro MITANI, Takashi KANAZAWA
  • Publication number: 20200066847
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to enhance the device yield of SiC epitaxial wafers. The SiC epitaxial wafer includes a drift layer which is a SiC epitaxial layer. The drift layer has a film thickness of 18 ?m or more and 350 ?m or less and has arithmetic average roughness of 0.60 nm or more and 3.00 nm or less, and the impurity concentration thereof is 1×1014/cm3 or more and 5×1015/cm3 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro MITANI, Yasuhiro KIMURA, Akihito ONO
  • Publication number: 20200020528
    Abstract: A SiC substrate (1) has an off angle ?°. A SiC epitaxial layer (2) having a film thickness of Tm ?m is provided on the SiC substrate (1). Triangular defects (3) are formed on a surface of the SiC epitaxial layer (2). A density of triangular defects (3) having a length of Tm/Tan ?×0.9 or more in a substrate off direction is denoted by A. A density of triangular (3) defects having a length smaller than Tm/Tan ?×0.9 in the substrate off direction is denoted by B. B/A?0.5 is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi HAMANO, Akihito OHNO, Takuma MIZOBE, Yasuhiro KIMURA, Yoichiro MITANI
  • Publication number: 20190145021
    Abstract: An epitaxial substrate includes a single-crystal substrate of silicon carbide, and an epitaxial layer of silicon carbide disposed on the single-crystal substrate. The epitaxial layer includes a first epitaxial layer disposed on the single-crystal substrate, a second epitaxial layer disposed on the first epitaxial layer, and a third epitaxial layer disposed on the second epitaxial layer. The first epitaxial layer has a basal-plane-dislocation conversion rate of less than 95%. The second epitaxial layer has a basal-plane-dislocation conversion rate of more than 98%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takanori TANAKA, Shigehisa YAMAMOTO, Yu NAKAMURA, Yasuhiro KIMURA, Shuhei NAKATA, Yoichiro MITANI
  • Patent number: 9988738
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a SiC epitaxial wafer includes: a first step of, by supplying a Si supply gas and a C supply gas, performing a first epitaxial growth on a SiC bulk substrate with a 4H—SiC(0001) having an off-angle of less than 5° as a main surface at a first temperature of 1480° C. or higher and 1530° C. or lower; a second step of stopping the supply of the Si supply gas and the C supply gas and increasing a temperature of the SiC bulk substrate from the first temperature to a second temperature; and a third step of, by supplying the Si supply gas and the C supply gas, performing a second epitaxial growth on the SiC bulk substrate having the temperature increased in the second step at the second temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Tomita, Yoichiro Mitani, Takanori Tanaka, Naoyuki Kawabata, Yoshihiko Toyoda, Takeharu Kuroiwa, Kenichi Hamano, Akihito Ono, Junji Ochi, Zempei Kawazu
  • Patent number: 9957638
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes: preparing a silicon carbide single crystal substrate having a flatness with an average roughness of 0.2 nm or less; gas-etching a surface of the silicon carbide single crystal substrate under an atmosphere of a reducing gas; and forming a silicon carbide layer on the gas-etched surface of the silicon carbide single crystal substrate, wherein an etching rate of the gas etching is made in a range of 0.5 ?m/hour or faster to 2.0 ?m/hour or slower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito Ohno, Yoichiro Mitani, Takahiro Yamamoto, Nobuyuki Tomita, Kenichi Hamano
  • Patent number: 9903048
    Abstract: A single-crystal 4H-SiC substrate includes a 4H-SiC bulk single-crystal substrate; and an epitaxial first single-crystal 4H-SiC layer on the 4H-SiC bulk single-crystal substrate and having recesses. The recesses have a diameter no smaller than 2 ?m and no larger than 20 ?m. The recesses have a depth no smaller than 0.01 ?m and no larger than 0.1 ?m. A single-crystal 4H-SiC substrate also includes a 4H-SiC bulk single-crystal substrate; and an epitaxial first single-crystal 4H-SiC layer on the 4H-SiC bulk single-crystal substrate and having recesses. The density of the recesses in the epitaxial first single-crystal 4H-SiC layer is at least 10/cm2, and the epitaxial first single-crystal 4H-SiC layer has a defect density no larger than 2/cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito Ohno, Zempei Kawazu, Nobuyuki Tomita, Takanori Tanaka, Yoichiro Mitani, Kenichi Hamano
  • Patent number: 9752254
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a single-crystal 4H—SiC substrate includes preparing a 4H—SiC bulk single-crystal substrate having a flat surface, and growing an epitaxial first single-crystal 4H—SiC layer having recesses on the 4H—SiC bulk single-crystal substrate to a thickness X, measured in micrometers (?m). The recesses have a diameter Y, measured in micrometers, no smaller than 0.2*X and no larger than 2*X. In addition, the recesses have a depth Z, when measured in micrometers, no smaller than (0.95*X+0.5*10?3), and no larger than 10*X*10?3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito Ohno, Zempei Kawazu, Nobuyuki Tomita, Takanori Tanaka, Yoichiro Mitani, Kenichi Hamano
  • Publication number: 20170040166
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for manufacturing a silicon carbide epitaxial wafer includes: introducing a cleaning gas into a growth furnace to remove dendrite-like polycrystal of silicon carbide attached to an inner wall of the growth furnace; after introducing the cleaning gas, bringing a silicon carbide substrate in the growth furnace; and growing a silicon carbide epitaxial layer on the silicon carbide substrate by introducing a processing gas into the growth furnace to manufacture a silicon carbide epitaxial wafer, wherein the cleaning gas having fluid energy of 1.6E?4 [J] or higher is introduced into the growth furnace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito OHNO, Masashi SAKAI, Yoichiro MITANI, Takahiro YAMAMOTO, Yasuhiro KIMURA, Takuma MIZOBE, Nobuyuki TOMITA
  • Patent number: 9564315
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for manufacturing a silicon carbide epitaxial wafer includes: introducing a cleaning gas into a growth furnace to remove dendrite-like polycrystal of silicon carbide attached to an inner wall of the growth furnace; after introducing the cleaning gas, bringing a silicon carbide substrate in the growth furnace; and growing a silicon carbide epitaxial layer on the silicon carbide substrate by introducing a processing gas into the growth furnace to manufacture a silicon carbide epitaxial wafer, wherein the cleaning gas having fluid energy of 1.6E-4 [J] or higher is introduced into the growth furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihito Ohno, Masashi Sakai, Yoichiro Mitani, Takahiro Yamamoto, Yasuhiro Kimura, Takuma Mizobe, Nobuyuki Tomita
  • Publication number: 20160298264
    Abstract: A single-crystal 4H-SiC substrate includes a 4H-SiC bulk single-crystal substrate; and an epitaxial first single-crystal 4H-SiC layer on the 4H-SiC bulk single-crystal substrate and having recesses. The recesses have a diameter no smaller than 2 ?m and no larger than 20 ?m. The recesses have a depth no smaller than 0.01 ?m and no larger than 0.1 ?m. A single-crystal 4H-SiC substrate also includes a 4H-SiC bulk single-crystal substrate; and an epitaxial first single-crystal 4H-SiC layer on the 4H-SiC bulk single-crystal substrate and having recesses. The density of the recesses in the epitaxial first single-crystal 4H-SiC layer is at least 10/cm2, and the epitaxial first single-crystal 4H-SiC layer has a defect density no larger than 2/cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Akihito Ohno, Zempei Kawazu, Nobuyuki Tomita, Takanori Tanaka, Yoichiro Mitani, Kenichi Hamano
  • Publication number: 20160298262
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a single-crystal 4H-SiC substrate includes preparing a 4H-SiC bulk single-crystal substrate having a flat surface, and growing an epitaxial first single-crystal 4H-SiC layer having recesses on the 4H-SiC bulk single-crystal substrate to a thickness X, measured in micrometers (?m). The recesses have a diameter Y, measured in micrometers, no smaller than 0.2*X and no larger than 2*X. In addition, the recesses have a depth Z, when measured in micrometers, no smaller than (0.95*X+0.5*10?3), and no larger than 10*X*10?3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Akihito Ohno, Zempei Kawazu, Nobuyuki Tomita, Takanori Tanaka, Yoichiro Mitani, Kenichi Hamano