METHOD FOR OPERATING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20120319761A1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: ZUNDEL, Markus
• Application Number:
  US13/596,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20120319761A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/530
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/402 Field plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/407 Recessed field plates, e.g. trench field plates, buried field plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/41766 with at least part of the source or drain electrode having contact below the semiconductor surface, e.g. the source or drain electrode formed at least partially in a groove or with inclusions of conductor inside the semiconductor H01L29/41733 - H01L29/41758 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4236 within a trench, e.g. trench gate electrode, groove gate electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42368 the thickness being non-uniform
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66727 with a step of recessing the source electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66734 with a step of recessing the gate electrode, e.g. to form a trench gate electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7397 and a gate structure lying on a slanted or vertical surface or formed in a groove, e.g. trench gate IGBT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7813 with trench gate electrode, e.g. UMOS transistors trench gate electrodes per se H01L29/4236
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/8611 Planar PN junction diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/8613 Mesa PN junction diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having at least a pn-junction arranged in the semiconductor substrate. At least a field electrode is arranged at least next to a portion of the pn-junction, wherein the field electrode is insulated from the semiconductor substrate. A switching device is electrically connected to the field electrode and adapted to apply selectively and dynamically one of a first electrical potential and a second electrical potential, which is different to the first electrical potential, to the field electrode to alter the avalanche breakdown characteristics of the pn-junction.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method for operating a semiconductor device, comprising:

providing a semiconductor device which comprises a semiconductor substrate comprising at least a pn-junction arranged in the semiconductor substrate, at least a field electrode arranged at least next to a portion of the pn-junction, the field electrode being insulated from the semiconductor substrate;

operating the pn-junction at least temporarily in reverse mode;

applying a first electrical potential to the field electrode; and

temporarily disconnecting the field electrode from the first electrical potential and applying a second electrical potential to the field electrode so that the avalanche breakdown characteristics of the pn-junction are altered.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second electrical potential is repeatedly temporarily applied to the field electrode.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the second electrical potential is applied to the field electrode shortly before an avalanche breakdown occurs.

21-25. -25. (canceled)