Silicon carbide power MOSFET with floating field ring and floating field plate

• US 5,233,215 A
• Filed: 06/08/1992
• Issued: 08/03/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 78 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: North Carolina State University At Raleigh
• Inventors: Baliga, Bantval J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hille, Rolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOKE, STEVEN HO YIN
• Application Number:
  US07/895,592
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 357/23.2, 357/23.4, 357/52, 357/53, 357/61, 437/100, 257/339, 257/409, 257/490, 257/487, 257/495, 257/496, 257/77
• US Class Current: 257/490
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0619 with a supplementary region doped oppositely to or in rectifying contact with the semiconductor containing or contacting region, e.g. guard rings with PN or Schottky junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0649 Dielectric regions, e.g. SiO2 regions, air gaps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1608 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/404 Multiple field plate structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/407 Recessed field plates, e.g. trench field plates, buried field plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66068 the devices being controllable only by the electric current supplied or the electric potential applied, to an electrode which does not carry the current to be rectified, amplified or switched, e.g. three-terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7811 with an edge termination structure guard regions per se H01L29/0619; field plates per se H01L29/402
• 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 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 silicon carbide power MOSFET device includes a first silicon carbide layer, epitaxially formed on the silicon carbide substrate of opposite conductivity type. A second silicon carbide layer of the same conductivity type as the substrate is formed on the first silicon carbide layer. A power field effect transistor is formed in the device region of the substrate and in the first and second silicon carbide layers thereover. At least one termination trench is formed in the termination region of the silicon carbide substrate, extending through the first and second silicon carbide layers thereover. The termination trench defines one or more isolated mesas in the termination region which act as floating field rings. The termination trenches are preferably insulator lined and filled with conductive material to form floating field plates. The outermost trench may be a deep trench which extends through the first and second silicon carbide layers and through the drift region of the silicon carbide substrate. Since the termination region is formed from the first and second silicon carbide layers in the termination region, a time consuming, high temperature diffusion to form a floating field ring is not necessary. Rather, the same epitaxial first and second silicon carbide layers which are used to form an FET in the device region may also be used to form the floating field ring in the termination region.

Claims

1. A power device comprising:

a silicon carbide substrate of first conductivity type, having first and second opposing faces and including a device region extending from said first face to said second face, and a termination region extending from said first face to said second face;

a first silicon carbide layer of second conductivity type on said first face, extending over said device region and said termination region;

a second silicon carbide layer of said first conductivity type on said first silicon carbide layer, extending over said device region;

a power field effect transistor in said device region of said silicon carbide substrate and in said first and second silicon carbide layers thereover; and

a first termination trench in said termination region of said silicon carbide substrate, and extending through said first silicon carbide layer thereover, to define a mesa of said first silicon carbide layer over said termination region.

2. The power device of claim 1 wherein said first termination trench contains a conductive material therein.

3. The power device of claim 2 wherein said first termination trench is lined with insulating material, and contains said conductive material therein.

4. The power device of claim 2 wherein said conductive material is electrically isolated from said power field effect transistor.

5. The power device of claim 1 wherein said mesa is electrically isolated from said power field effect transistor.

6. The power device of claim 1 wherein said first termination trench encircles said device region.

7. The power device of claim 1 wherein said second silicon carbide layer also extends over said termination region, and wherein said first termination trench extends through said first and second silicon carbide layers thereon, to define a mesa of said first and second silicon carbide layers over said termination region.

8. The power device of claim 1 further comprising a second termination trench in said termination region of said silicon carbide substrate, extending through said first silicon carbide layer thereover to define a second mesa of said first silicon carbide layer between said first termination trench and said second termination trench, said second termination trench being laterally spaced apart from, and concentric to said first termination trench.

9. The power device of claim 8 wherein said second termination trench contains a conductive material therein.

10. The power device of claim 9 wherein said second termination trench is lined with insulating material, and contains said conductive material therein.

11. The power device of claim 1 wherein said silicon carbide substrate includes a lightly doped region of said first conductivity type adjacent said first face, and a heavily doped region of said first conductivity type adjacent said second face, and wherein said power device further comprises a deep termination trench in said termination region of said silicon carbide substrate, which extends through said first silicon carbide layer and through said lightly doped region.

12. The power device of claim 11 wherein said deep termination trench contains a conductive material therein.

13. The power device of claim 12 wherein said deep termination trench is lined with insulating material, and contains said conductive material therein.

14. The power device of claim 1 wherein said power field effect transistor includes a source contact on said second silicon carbide layer and a drain contact on said second face of said silicon carbide substrate.

15. A power device comprising:

a silicon carbide substrate of first conductivity type, having first and second opposing faces and including a device region extending from said first face to said second face, and a termination region extending from said first face to said second face;

a first silicon carbide layer of second conductivity type on said first face, extending over said termination region;

a power field effect transistor in said device region of said silicon carbide substrate; and

a first termination trench in said termination region of said silicon carbide substrate, said first termination trench extending through said first silicon carbide layer and being lined with insulating material, and containing a conductive material therein.

16. The power device of claim 15 wherein said conductive material is electrically isolated from said power field effect transistor.

17. The power device of claim 15 wherein said first termination trench encircles said device region.

18. The power device of claim 15 further comprising a second termination trench in said termination region of said silicon carbide substrate, said second termination trench being laterally spaced apart from, and concentric to said first termination trench, said second termination trench being lined with insulating material and containing a conductive material therein.

19. A power device comprising:

a silicon carbide substrate of first conductivity type, having first and second opposing faces and including a device region extending from said first face to said second face, and a termination region extending from said first face to said second face;

a first silicon carbide layer of second conductivity type on said first face, extending over said device region;

a second silicon carbide layer of said first conductivity type on said first silicon carbide layer, extending over said device region;

a power field effect transistor in said device region of said silicon carbide substrate and in said first and second silicon carbide layers thereover; and

a first termination trench in said termination region of said silicon carbide substrate, said first termination trench being lined with insulating material, and containing a conductive material therein;

wherein said silicon carbide substrate includes a lightly doped region of said first conductivity type adjacent said first face, and a heavily doped region of said first conductivity type adjacent said second face, and wherein said power device further comprises a deep termination trench in said termination region of said silicon carbide substrate, which extends through said lightly doped region, said deep termination trench being lined with insulating material and containing a conductive material therein.

20. A power device comprising:

a silicon carbide substrate of first conductivity type, having first and second opposing faces and including a device region extending from said first face to said second face, and a termination region extending from said first face to said second face;

a first silicon carbide layer of second conductivity type on said first face, extending over said device region and said termination region;

a second silicon carbide layer of said first conductivity type on said first silicon carbide layer, extending over said device region and said termination region;

a power field effect transistor in said device region of said silicon carbide substrate and in said first and second silicon carbide layers thereover; and

a first termination trench in said termination region of said silicon carbide substrate, extending through said first silicon carbide layer and said second silicon carbide layer thereover, to define a mesa of said first silicon carbide layer and said second silicon carbide layer over said termination region, said first termination trench being lined with insulating material, and containing a conductive material therein, said conductive material being electrically isolated from said power field effect transistor.

21. The power device of claim 20 wherein said first termination trench encircles said device region.

22. The power device of claim 20 further comprising a second termination trench in said termination region of said silicon carbide substrate, extending through said first and second silicon carbide layers thereover to define a second mesa of said first and second silicon carbide layers between said first termination trench and said second termination trench, said second termination trench being laterally spaced apart from, and concentric to said first termination trench, said second termination trench being lined with insulating material, and containing a conductive material therein, said conductive material being electrically isolated from said power field effect transistor.

23. The power device of claim 20 wherein said silicon carbide substrate includes a lightly doped region of said first conductivity type adjacent said first face, and a heavily doped region of said first conductivity type adjacent said second face, and wherein said power device further comprises a deep termination trench in said termination region of said silicon carbide substrate, which extends through said first silicon carbide layer and said second silicon carbide layer and through said lightly doped region, said deep termination trench being lined with insulating material, and containing a conductive material therein, said conductive material being electrically isolated from said power field effect transistor.

24. The power device of claim 20 wherein said power field effect transistor includes a source contact on said second silicon carbide layer and a drain contact on said second face of said silicon carbide substrate.