High power silicon carbide (SiC) PiN diodes having low forward voltage drops

• US 20070200115A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sumakeris, Joseph, Hull, Brett, Das, Mrinal
• Granted Patent: US 9,455,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/77
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1608 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/6606 the devices being controllable only by variation of the electric current supplied or the electric potential applied, to one or more of the electrodes carrying the current to be rectified, amplified, oscillated or switched, e.g. two-terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/868 PIN diodes

Abstract

Silicon Carbide (SiC) PiN Diodes are provided having a reverse blocking voltage (V_R) from about 3.0 kV to about 10.0 kV and a forward voltage (V_F) of less than about 4.3 V.

Claims

1. A Silicon Carbide (SiC) PiN Diode having a reverse blocking voltage (V_R) from about 3.0 kV to about 10.0 kV and a forward voltage (V_F) of less than about 4.3 V.

2. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 1 having an average forward current (I_F) of not greater than about 420 A.

3. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 2 having an average forward current (I_F) of not greater than about 200 A.

4. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 2 operating at a temperature of from about 25°

C. to about 530°

C.

5. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 4 having a V_R of about 10.0 kV, an average I_F of about 50 A, a reverse leakage current (I_R) of about 0.5 mA, a V_F of about 3.8 V, a reverse recovery time (t_rr) of about 150 nsec and a reverse recovery charge (Q_rr) of about 1.1°

C. when operating at a temperature of about 25°

C.

6. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 4 having a blocking voltage (V_R) of about 10.0 kV, an average I_F of about 50 A, a reverse recovery time (t_rr) of about 300 nsec and a reverse recovery charge (Q_rr) of about 1.6 μ

C when operating at a temperature of about 150°

C.

7. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 1 having a forward current of about 2 A:

wherein a plurality of SiC PiN diodes are provided on a single chip, the chip being about 2.8 mm by 2.8 mm;

wherein the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a V_F of less than about 4.0 V, no less than about seventy percent of the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a blocking voltage of about 6 kV and a reverse leakage current (I_R) of not greater than 1.0 mA/cm² and almost all of the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a forward voltage drift of no greater than 0.1V.

8. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 7, wherein the chip has a total yield of no less than about seventy percent.

9. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 1 having a forward current of about 5 A:

wherein a plurality of SiC PiN diodes are provided on a single chip, the chip being about 2.8 mm by about 4.85 mm;

wherein the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a V_F of less than about 4.0 V, no less than about seventy one percent of the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a blocking voltage of about 6 kV and a reverse leakage current (I_R) of not greater than 1.0 mA/cm² and no less than about ninety six percent of the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a forward voltage drift of no greater than 0.1 V.

10. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 9, wherein the chip has a total yield of no less than about sixty five percent.

11. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 1 having a forward current of about 25 A:

wherein a plurality of SiC PiN diodes are provided on a single chip, the chip being about 5.4 mm by about 5.4 mm;

wherein the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a V_F of less than about 4.0 V, no less than about fifty percent of the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a blocking voltage of about 6 kV and a reverse leakage current (I_R) of not greater than 1.0 mA/cm² and no less than about eighty seven percent of the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a forward voltage drift of no greater than 0.1 V.

12. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 11, wherein the chip has a total yield of no less than about forty three percent.

13. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 1 having a forward current of about 5 A:

wherein a plurality of SiC PiN diodes are provided on a single chip, the chip being about 8.65 mm by about 8.55 mm;

wherein the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a V_F of less than about 4.0 V, no less than about sixty five percent of the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a blocking voltage of about 6 kV and a reverse leakage current (I_R) of not greater than 1.0 mA/cm² and no less than about ninety six percent of the plurality of SiC PiN diodes have a forward voltage drift of no greater than 0.1V.

14. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 13, wherein the chip has a total yield of no less than about sixty three percent.

15. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 1, wherein the SiC PiN Diode comprises a 4H SiC PiN Diode.

16. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 15, wherein the SiC PiN Diode further comprises:

an n-type SiC substrate;

an n-type SiC drift layer on the n-type SiC substrate; and

a p-type SiC Anode injection layer on the n-type drift layer.

17. A 4H Silicon Carbide (SiC) PiN Diode having a reverse blocking voltage (V_R) from about 3.0 kV to about 10.0 kV and a forward voltage (V_F) of less than about 4.3 V, an average forward current of not greater than about 420 A and operating at a temperature of from about 25°

C. and about 530°

C.

18. The SiC PiN Diode of claim 17, wherein the SiC PiN Diode further comprises:

an n-type SiC substrate;

an n-type SiC drift layer on the n-type SiC substrate; and

a p-type SiC Anode injection layer on the n-type drift layer.

19. A PiN Diode having a reverse blocking voltage (V_R) of about 10.0 kV, a forward current of no greater than about 50 A and a forward voltage (V_F) of less than about 3.8 V.

20. The PiN Diode of claim 19 having a reverse recovery charge of less than 5.0 μ

C when operating at a temperature of 25°

C.

21. The PiN Diode of claim 20, wherein the reverse recovery charge is less than 2.0 μ

C when operating at a temperature of 25°

C.

22. The PiN Diode of claim 21, wherein the PiN Diode comprises a 4H silicon carbide (SiC) diode.

23. The PiN Diode of claim 19 having a reverse recovery charge of less than 24.0 μ

C when operating at a temperature of 150°

C.

24. The PiN Diode of claim 23, wherein the reverse recover charge is less than 2.0 μ

C when operating at a temperature of 150°

C.

25. The PiN Diode of claim 24, wherein the PiN Diode comprises a 4H silicon carbide (SiC) diode.