Power semiconductor devices having retrograded-doped transition regions that enhance breakdown voltage characteristics and methods of forming same
First Claim
1. A vertical power device, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having first and second trenches and a drift region of first conductivity type therein that extends into a mesa defined by the first and second trenches;
first and second insulated electrodes in the first and second trenches;
first and second base regions of second conductivity type that extend adjacent sidewalls of the first and second trenches, respectively, and in the mesa;
first and second source regions of first conductivity type in said first and second base regions, respectively;
an insulated gate electrode that extends on a surface of said semiconductor substrate and opposite said first base region; and
a transition region of first conductivity type that extends between said first and second base regions, forms a non-rectifying junction with the drift region and has a vertically retrograded first conductivity type doping profile relative to the surface.
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Abstract
A power field effect transistor utilizes a retrograded-doped transition region to enhance forward on-state and reverse breakdown voltage characteristics. Highly doped shielding regions may also be provided that extend adjacent the transition region and contribute to depletion of the transition region during both forward on-state conduction and reverse blocking modes of operation. In a vertical embodiment, the transition region has a peak first conductivity type dopant concentration at a first depth relative to a surface on which gate electrodes are formed. A product of the peak dopant concentration and a width of the transition region at the first depth is preferably in a range between 1×1012 cm−2 and 7×1012 cm−2.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A vertical power device, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate having first and second trenches and a drift region of first conductivity type therein that extends into a mesa defined by the first and second trenches;
first and second insulated electrodes in the first and second trenches;
first and second base regions of second conductivity type that extend adjacent sidewalls of the first and second trenches, respectively, and in the mesa;
first and second source regions of first conductivity type in said first and second base regions, respectively;
an insulated gate electrode that extends on a surface of said semiconductor substrate and opposite said first base region; and
a transition region of first conductivity type that extends between said first and second base regions, forms a non-rectifying junction with the drift region and has a vertically retrograded first conductivity type doping profile relative to the surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A vertical power device, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate;
a drift region of first conductivity type in said semiconductor substrate;
first and second spaced-apart base regions of second conductivity type in said semiconductor substrate;
first and second source regions of first conductivity type in said first and second base regions, respectively;
a transition region of first conductivity type that extends between said first and second base regions, forms a non-rectifying junction with the drift region and has a vertically retrograded first conductivity type doping profile relative to a surface of said semiconductor substrate; and
an insulated gate electrode that extends on the surface and opposite said first base region and said transition region. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30)
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28. A vertical power device, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate having first and second trenches and a drift region of first conductivity type therein that extends into a mesa defined by the first and second trenches;
first and second insulated electrodes in the first and second trenches, respectively;
a first base region of second conductivity type that extends opposite a sidewall of the first trench and in the mesa;
a first shielding region of second conductivity type that extends opposite the sidewall of the first trench, is more highly doped than said first base region, is disposed between said first base region and the drift region and forms a P-N rectifying junction with the drift region;
a source region of first conductivity type in said first base region;
an insulated gate electrode that extends on the mesa and opposite said first base region; and
a source electrode that extends on said source region and is electrically connected to said first and second insulated electrodes.
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31. A vertical power device, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate having first and second trenches and a drift region of first conductivity type therein that extends into a mesa defined by the first and second trenches;
first and second insulated electrodes in the first and second trenches;
first and second base regions of second conductivity type that extend adjacent sidewalls of the first and second trenches, respectively, and in the mesa;
first and second source regions of first conductivity type in said first and second base regions, respectively;
an insulated gate electrode that extends on a surface of said semiconductor substrate and opposite said first base region; and
a transition region of first conductivity type that extends between said first and second base regions and forms a non-rectifying junction with the drift region, said transition region having a peak first conductivity type dopant concentration therein at a first depth relative to a surface of said substrate; and
wherein a product of the peak first conductivity type dopant concentration in said transition region and a width of said transition region at the first depth is in a range between 3.5×
1012 cm−
2 and 6.5×
1012 cm−
2. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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34. A vertical power device, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate having first and second trenches and a drift region of first conductivity type therein that extends into a mesa defined by the first and second trenches;
first and second insulated electrodes in the first and second trenches;
first and second base regions of second conductivity type that extend adjacent sidewalls of the first and second trenches, respectively, and in the mesa;
first and second source regions of first conductivity type in said first and second base regions, respectively;
a first insulated gate electrode that extends on a surface of said semiconductor substrate and opposite said first base region;
a second insulated gate electrode that extends on a surface of said semiconductor substrate and opposite said second base region;
a conductive region that extends between said first and second insulated gate electrodes and opposite the mesa; and
a source electrode that is electrically connected to said first and second source regions and to said conductive region.
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40. A method of forming a vertical power device, comprising the steps of:
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implanting transition region dopants of first conductivity type at a first dose level and first energy level into a surface of a semiconductor substrate having a drift region of first conductivity type therein that extends adjacent the surface;
forming a gate electrode that extends opposite the implanted transition region dopants, on the surface;
implanting shielding region dopants of second conductivity type at a second dose level and second energy level into the surface, using the gate electrode as an implant mask;
implanting base region dopants of second conductivity type at a third dose level and third energy level into the surface, using the gate electrode as an implant mask;
driving the implanted transition, shielding and base region dopants into the substrate to define a transition region that extends in the drift region and has a vertically retrograded first conductivity type doping profile therein relative to the surface, first and second shielding regions that extend on opposite sides of the transition region and form respective P-N rectifying junctions therewith and first and second base regions that extend on opposite sides of the transition region and form respective P-N rectifying junctions therewith; and
implanting source region dopants of first conductivity type into the first and second base regions, using the gate electrode as an implant mask. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of forming a vertical power device, comprising the steps of:
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forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate having a drift region of first conductivity type therein that extends adjacent a sidewall of the trench;
lining the trench with a trench insulating layer;
forming a trench-based electrode on the trench insulating layer;
forming an insulated gate electrode on a surface of the substrate;
forming a base region of second conductivity type that extends in the substrate and to the sidewall of the trench;
forming a source region of first conductivity type that extends in the base region and to the sidewall of the trench;
etching back the trench insulating layer to expose portions of the base and source regions that extend along the sidewall of the trench; and
forming a source contact that is electrically connected to the base and source regions along the sidewall of the trench.
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52. An integrated power device having active and dummy cells therein, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate a drift region of first conductivity type therein;
first, second, third and fourth trenches spaced-apart trenches in said semiconductor substrate, said first and second trenches defining an active mesa therebetween into which the drift region extends, said second and third trenches defining a first dummy mesa therebetween into which the drift region extends and said third and fourth trenches defining a second dummy mesa therebetween into which the drift region extends;
first, second, third and fourth insulated electrodes in said first, second, third and fourth trenches, respectively;
first and second base regions of second conductivity type that extend adjacent sidewalls of the first and second trenches, respectively, and in the mesa;
first and second source regions of first conductivity type in said first and second base regions, respectively;
an insulated gate electrode that extends on a surface of said semiconductor substrate and opposite said first base region; and
a transition region of first conductivity type that extends between said first and second base regions and forms a non-rectifying junction with the drift region, said transition region having a peak first conductivity type dopant concentration therein at a first depth relative to a surface of said substrate; and
wherein the first and second dummy mesas are devoid of a forward on-state current path. - View Dependent Claims (53)
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Specification