Super-fast transient response (STR) AC/DC Converter for high power density charging application
Granted: April 21, 2020
Patent Number:
10630080
A charger comprises a housing, a first multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB), a second multi-layer PCB, and a third multi-layer PCB. The first PCB comprises at least a portion of a primary side circuit. The second PCB comprises at least a portion of a secondary side circuit. The third PCB is perpendicular to the first PCB and the second PCB. An isolation coupling element is disposed on the third PCB. The isolation coupling element comprises a multi-layer PCB. The first PCB comprises a…
Semiconductor power devices manufactured with self-aligned processes and more reliable electrical contacts
Granted: March 31, 2020
Patent Number:
10608092
This invention discloses semiconductor power device that includes a plurality of top electrical terminals disposed near a top surface of a semiconductor substrate. Each and every one of the top electrical terminals comprises a terminal contact layer formed as a silicide contact layer near the top surface of the semiconductor substrate. The trench gates of the semiconductor power device are opened from the top surface of the semiconductor substrate and each and every one of the trench…
Molded intelligent power module for motors
Granted: March 24, 2020
Patent Number:
10600727
An intelligent power module (IPM) has a first, second, third and fourth die supporting elements, a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth transistors, a connection member, a low voltage IC, a high voltage IC, a plurality of leads and a molding encapsulation. The first transistor is attached to the first die supporting element. The second transistor is attached to the second die supporting element. The third transistor is attached to the third die supporting element. The fourth,…
Nanotube semiconductor devices
Granted: March 17, 2020
Patent Number:
10593759
Semiconductor devices includes a thin epitaxial layer (nanotube) formed on sidewalls of mesas formed in a semiconductor layer. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first epitaxial layer and a second epitaxial layer formed on mesas of the semiconductor layer. The thicknesses and doping concentrations of the first and second epitaxial layers and the mesa are selected to achieve charge balance in operation. In another embodiment, the semiconductor body is lightly doped and…
Super-junction corner and termination structure with improved breakdown and robustness
Granted: March 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10580868
A superjunction power semiconductor device includes a termination region with superjunction structures having higher breakdown voltage than the breakdown voltage of the active cell region. In one embodiment, the termination region includes superjunction structures having lower column charge as compared to the superjunction structures formed in the active cell region. In other embodiments, a superjunction power semiconductor device incorporating superjunction structures with slanted…
Inductor with bypass switch
Granted: February 25, 2020
Patent Number:
10574132
Some apparatus and associated methods relate to conductivity modulation apparatus for active operations with an inductive element in a packaged circuit module formed with a bypass switch for configuration in parallel with an inductor. In an illustrative example, the bypass switch may be a controllable bidirectional switch formed of, for example, two anti-series connected MOSFETs. In some embodiments, the packaged module may include a main switch and/or a freewheeling rectifier (e.g.,…
Vertical gallium nitride Schottky diode
Granted: February 25, 2020
Patent Number:
10573762
A nitride-based Schottky diode includes a nitride-based semiconductor body, a first metal layer forming the anode electrode, a cathode electrode in electrical contact with the nitride-based semiconductor body, and a termination structure including a guard ring and a dielectric field plate. In one embodiment, the cathode electrode is formed on the front side of the nitride-based semiconductor body, in an area away from the anode electrode and the termination structure. In another…
Method for fabricating a folded channel trench MOSFET
Granted: February 4, 2020
Patent Number:
10553714
A trench MOSFET device is fabricated with body source regions that undulate along a channel width direction of the MOSFET device such that the body region and source region have variations in depth along the channel width direction. The undulations increase a channel width of the MOSFET device.
Device and fabrication of MOS device with island region
Granted: January 14, 2020
Patent Number:
10535764
Fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a first gate trench and a second gate trench in an epitaxial layer overlaying a semiconductor substrate; depositing gate material in the first gate trench to form a first gate and depositing gate material in the second gate trench to form a second gate; forming a body; forming a source; forming an active region contact trench that extends through the source and the body, and a gate contact trench within the second gate; forming an…
Methods and apparatuses for stable control in power converters
Granted: December 31, 2019
Patent Number:
10523102
Apparatus and associated methods relate to modulating the frequency of a switch signal to achieve a fast transient response while holding the average frequency constant over a predetermined number of N cycles. In an illustrative example, a quantum charge modulator may include a compensation processor configured to compensate an error signal and generate a compensation signal by performing operations to maintain an average switching frequency over the N cycles in response to the…
Methods for fabricating anode shorted field stop insulated gate bipolar transistor
Granted: December 31, 2019
Patent Number:
10522666
A method for fabricating an anode-shorted field stop insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) comprises selectively forming first and second semiconductor implant regions of opposite conductivity types. A field stop layer of a second conductivity type can be grown onto or implanted into the substrate. An epitaxial layer can be grown on the substrate or on the field stop layer. One or more insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) component cells are formed within the epitaxial layer.
Power semiconductor device with small contact footprint and the preparation method
Granted: December 10, 2019
Patent Number:
10504823
A power semiconductor package has a small footprint. A preparation method is used to fabricate the power semiconductor package. A first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip are attached to a front side and a back side of a die paddle respectively. Conductive pads are then attached to electrodes at top surfaces of the first and second semiconductor chips. It is followed by a formation of a plastic package body covering the die paddle, the first and second semiconductor…
Low capacitance transient voltage suppressor
Granted: December 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10497697
A transient voltage suppressor (TVS) circuit includes a first finger and a second finger of semiconductor regions arranged laterally along a first direction on a major surface of a semiconductor layer, the first finger and second finger extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction on the major surface of the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor regions in a first portion of the first and second fingers form a silicon controlled rectifier and the semiconductor…
Hard switching disable for switching power device
Granted: November 12, 2019
Patent Number:
10477626
A controller for driving a power switch incorporates a hard turn-on disable circuit to prevent the power switch from turning on when the power switch is sustaining a high voltage value. The hard turn-on disable circuit includes a hard turn-on detection circuit and a protection logic circuit. The hard turn-on disable circuit is configured to block or to pass the system input signal to the normal gate drive circuit of the power switch depending on the detection indicator signal. In…
Intelligent power modules for resonant converters
Granted: November 12, 2019
Patent Number:
10476494
An intelligent power module includes a power switch, a freewheeling device, and a controller circuit incorporating a gate drive circuit and one or more power switch protection circuits. In one embodiment, the power switch is an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device, the freewheeling device is a PN junction diode, and the controller circuit is implemented as a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC). The power module implements protection functions for the power switching device…
Self-aligned slotted accumulation-mode field effect transistor (ACCUFET) structure and method
Granted: November 5, 2019
Patent Number:
10468526
This invention discloses a semiconductor power device disposed in a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor power device includes trenched gates each having a stick-up gate segment extended above a top surface of the semiconductor substrate surrounded by sidewall spacers. The semiconductor power device further includes slots opened aligned with the sidewall spacers substantially parallel to the trenched gates. The stick-up gate segment further includes a cap composed of an insulation…
Three quarter bridge for buck-derived switch-mode power supplies
Granted: October 22, 2019
Patent Number:
10454370
Some apparatus and associated methods relate to a three quarter bridge (TQB) applied across an output inductor of a buck-derived power converter, the TQB operated in a first mode such that when a high-side switch of the power converter is turned on, the TQB configured to pass a first controlled current to combine with a first output inductor current to a load, the TQB configured to control the first controlled current to minimize a negative voltage transient on the load, the TQB operated…
Method for forming a lateral super-junction MOSFET device and termination structure
Granted: October 15, 2019
Patent Number:
10446679
A method for forming a lateral superjunction MOSFET device includes forming a semiconductor body including a lateral superjunction structure and a first column connected to the lateral superjunction structure. The MOSFET device includes the first column to receive current from the channel when the MOSFET is turned on and to distribute the channel current to the lateral superjunction structure functioning as the drain drift region. In some embodiment, the MOSFET device includes a second…
Bidirectional switch having back to back field effect transistors
Granted: October 15, 2019
Patent Number:
10446545
A bi-directional semiconductor switching device includes first and second vertical field effect transistors (FETs) formed in tandem from a semiconductor substrate. A source for the first FET is on a first side of the substrate and a source for the second FET is on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side. Gates for both the first and second FETs are disposed in tandem in a common set of trenches formed a drift region of the semiconductor substrate that is sandwiched between…
Semiconductor device having one or more titanium interlayers and method of making the same
Granted: October 8, 2019
Patent Number:
10438813
A semiconductor device comprising a substrate layer, an epitaxial layer, a dielectric layer, a first aluminum layer, a first titanium interlayer and a second aluminum layer. The first titanium interlayer is disposed between the first aluminum layer and the second aluminum layer. A process for fabricating a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: preparing a semiconductor wafer; depositing a first aluminum layer onto the semiconductor wafer; depositing a first titanium interlayer…
