Transistor and method of manufacturing the same

• US 6,008,518 A
• Filed: 05/06/1998
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): WOJCIECHOWICZ, EDWARD JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US09/068,113
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 257/326, 257/328, 257/378, 257/401, 438/156, 438/212, 438/234, 438/268, 438/585
• US Class Current: 257/326
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7395 Vertical transistors, e.g. vertical IGBT

Abstract

A transistor and a fabrication method thereof, and in particular, a technique for compatibly improving reduction of an ON-state voltage and reduction of a turn-off time. First and second emitter layers are selectively formed in isolation from each other on a surface of a base layer 3, and a channel region 6 opposed to a gate electrode 8 through a gate insulating film is formed therebetween. In an ON state, a base current I_b is supplied from a base electrode, while a prescribed gate voltage is applied to the gate electrode. The first and second emitter layers couple with each other and function as a single emitter layer, whereby the ON-state voltage becomes a low value of about the same degree as a bipolar transistor. When bringing a device into an OFF state, supply of the base current I_b is stopped while a zero (or negative) voltage is applied to the gate electrode. Consequently, coupling between the first emitter layer and the second emitter layer is canceled, whereby a second collector current I_c2 which is a component of a main current passing through the second emitter layer rapidly attenuates similarly to a MOS.

Claims

1. A transistor comprising:

a first conductivity type first semiconductor layer defining a first major surface and a second major surface;

a second conductivity type second semiconductor layer formed in said first major surface of said first semiconductor layer;

a first conductivity type third semiconductor layer selectively formed in a surface of said second semiconductor layer;

a first conductivity type fourth semiconductor layer selectively formed in said surface of said second semiconductor layer, in isolation from said third semiconductor layer;

an insulating film formed on a region held between said third and fourth semiconductor layers in an exposed surface of said second semiconductor layer;

a first control electrode (8) formed on said insulating film;

a second control electrode formed on a region in said exposed surface of said semiconductor layer different from said region on which said insulating film is formed;

a first main electrode formed on a surface of said third semiconductor layer; and

a second main electrode being formed on said second major surface of said first semiconductor layer.

2. The transistor in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said first main electrode and said second control electrode are so formed as to hold said first control electrode and said fourth semiconductor layer therebetween.

3. The transistor in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said third and fourth semiconductor layers are formed in the shape of stripes, and to be parallel to each other.

4. The semiconductor in accordance with claim 1, wherein

a first component not flowing through said fourth semiconductor layer is suppressed lower than a second component flowing through said fourth semiconductor layer in a main current flowing across said first and second main electrodes.

5. The semiconductor in accordance with claim 4, wherein

said fourth semiconductor layer is more deeply formed than said third semiconductor layer.

6. The semiconductor in accordance with claim 4, wherein

a second conductivity type fifth semiconductor layer higher in impurity concentration than said second semiconductor layer is formed adjacently to a bottom portion of said third semiconductor layer.

7. The semiconductor in accordance with claim 6, wherein

said fifth semiconductor layer is formed more deeply than said second semiconductor layer.

8. The semiconductor in accordance with claim 1,

further comprising a second conductivity type sixth semiconductor layer selectively formed over a region held between said first main electrode and said first control electrode up to a part a region facing said first main electrode in said surface of said third semiconductor layer,

said third semiconductor layer being exposed in a region held between a surface of said sixth semiconductor layer and an exposed surface of said second semiconductor layer, while being opposed to said first control electrode in said region.

9. The semiconductor in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said second semiconductor layer is selectively formed on a region enclosed with an external region along an outer periphery in said first major surface of said first semiconductor layer,

said transistor further comprising:

a second conductivity type seventh semiconductor layer so selectively formed in said external region as to enclose said second semiconductor layer, and

a third main electrode formed on a surface of said seventh semiconductor layer and electrically connected with said first main electrode.

10. The semiconductor in accordance with claim 9, wherein

said first and third main electrodes are formed on said first major surface while integrally coupling with each other.

11. The semiconductor in accordance with claim 9, wherein

said seventh semiconductor layer is formed more deeply than said second semiconductor layer.

12. The semiconductor in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said first semiconductor layer comprises an eighth semiconductor layer joined with said second semiconductor layer and a ninth semiconductor layer exposed on said second major surface,

said ninth semiconductor layer being higher than said eighth semiconductor layer in an impurity concentration.

13. A method of fabricating a transistor comprising the following steps (a) to (i);

(a) a step of preparing a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate as a first semiconductor layer, said semiconductor substrate defining a first major surface and a second major surface;

(b) a step of forming a second conductivity type second semiconductor layer by introducing a second conductivity type impurity into said first major surface of said first semiconductor layer;

(c) a step of selectively forming an insulating film on a surface of said second semiconductor layer;

(d) a step of forming a first control electrode on said insulating film;

(e) a step of selectively forming a first conductivity type third semiconductor layer by employing said first control electrode as a part of a mask and selectively introducing a first conductivity type impurity into said surface of said second semiconductor layer;

(f) a step of selectively forming a first conductivity type fourth semiconductor layer in isolation from said third semiconductor layer by employing said first control electrode as a part of a mask and selectively introducing a first conductivity type impurity into said surface of said second semiconductor layer;

(g) a step of forming a second control electrode on a region in an exposed surface of said second semiconductor layer different from a region on which said insulating film is formed;

(h) a step of forming a first main electrode on a surface of said third semiconductor layer; and

(i) a step of forming a second main electrode on said second major surface of said first semiconductor layer.

14. The method of fabricating a transistor in accordance with claim 13, wherein

said step (e) and said step (f) share the following single step (j):

(j) a step of simultaneously forming said third and fourth semiconductor layers by selectively implanting a first conductivity type impurity into said surface of said second semiconductor layer while using a single screen covering said first major surface and selectively having an opening part corresponding to said third and fourth semiconductor layers as a mask and thereafter diffusing the same.

15. The method of fabricating a transistor in accordance with claim 13, wherein

said step (e) comprises:

(e-1) a step of selectively implanting a first conductivity type impurity into said surface of said second semiconductor layer while using a screen covering said first major surface and selectively defining an opening part corresponding to said fourth semiconductor layer in cooperating with said first control electrode as a mask and thereafter diffusing the same,

said step (f) comprises;

(f-1) a step of selectively implanting a first conductivity type impurity into said surface of said second semiconductor layer while using a screen covering said first major surface and selectively defining an opening part corresponding to said third semiconductor layer in cooperation with said first control electrode as a mask after said step (e-1), and

said step (e) and said step (f) further share the following single step (k);

(k) a step of forming said third and fourth semiconductor layers so that said fourth semiconductor layer becomes deeper than said third semiconductor layer by simultaneously diffusing said impurity diffused in said step (e-1) and said impurity implanted in said step (f-1) after said step (f-1).

16. The fabricating a transistor in accordance with claim 13, further comprising:

(l) a step of selectively forming a second conductivity type fifth semiconductor layer to be deeper than said third semiconductor layer and higher in impurity concentration than said second semiconductor layer by selectively introducing a second conductivity type impurity into a region in said first major surface in which said third semiconductor layer is to be formed after said step (a) or said step (b).

17. The method of fabricating a transistor in accordance with claim 13, further comprising:

(m) a step of selectively forming a second conductivity type sixth semiconductor layer by employing said first control electrode as a part of a mask and selectively introducing a second conductivity type impurity into said surface of said third semiconductor layer not to reach the exposed surface of said second semiconductor layer opposed to said first control electrode after said steps (e) and (f),

said step (h) comprising;

(h-1) a step of forming said first main electrode on both of an exposed surface of said third semiconductor layer and a surface of said sixth semiconductor layer.

18. The method of fabricating a transistor in accordance with claim 13, further comprising:

(n) a step of selectively forming a second conductivity type seventh semiconductor layer to enclose said second semiconductor layer by selectively introducing a second conductivity type impurity into an external region along an outer periphery in said first major surface after said step (a) or said step (b), and

(o) a step of forming a third main electrode being electrically connected with said first main electrode on said seventh semiconductor layer.

19. The method of fabricating a transistor in accordance with claim 18, wherein

said step (n) comprises:

(n-1) a step of selectively implanting into and diffusing in said external region along said outer periphery in said first major surface after said step (a) and in advance of said step (b),

said step (b) comprises;

(b-1) a step of implanting a second conductivity type impurity into said first major surface of said first semiconductor layer, and

said step (n) and said step (b) further share the following single step (p);

(p) a step of forming said second and seventh semiconductor layers so that said seventh semiconductor layer becomes deeper than said second semiconductor layer by simultaneously diffusing said impurity diffused in said step (n-1) and said impurity implanted in said step (b-1) after said step (b-1).

20. The method of fabricating a transistor in accordance with claim 16, wherein

said step (l) comprises:

(l-1) a step of forming said fifth semiconductor layer and simultaneously selectively forming a second conductivity type seventh semiconductor layer to enclose said second semiconductor layer by selectively introducing a second conductivity type impurity while using a screen covering said first major surface and selectively defining opening parts in a region in which said third semiconductor layer is to be formed and an external region along an outer periphery as a mask after said step (a) or said step (b).