Semiconductor component having a small forward voltage and high blocking ability

• US 6,201,279 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1999
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Pfirsch, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen D.
• Application Number:
  US09/425,340
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 257/333, 257/133, 257/137
• US Class Current: 257/333
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0634 Multiple reduced surface field (multi-RESURF) structures, e.g. double RESURF, charge compensation, cool, superjunction (SJ), 3D-RESURF, composite buffer (CB) structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0653 adjoining the input or output region of a field-effect device, e.g. the source or drain region
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/405 Resistive arrangements, e.g. resistive or semi-insulating field plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/407 Recessed field plates, e.g. trench field plates, buried field plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/408 with an insulating layer with a particular dielectric or electrostatic property, e.g. with static charges or for controlling trapped charges or moving ions, or with a plate acting on the insulator potential or the insulator charges, e.g. for controlling charges effect or potential distribution in the insulating layer, or with a semi-insulating layer contacting directly the semiconductor surface
• 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 29/7802 Vertical DMOS transistors, i.e. VDMOS transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/872 Schottky diodes

Abstract

The semiconductor component has a small forward voltage and a high blocking ability. At least one drift path suitable for taking up voltage is formed in a semiconductor body between two electrodes that are arranged at a distance from one another. At least one semi-insulating layer is provided parallel to the drift path. The semi-insulating layer leads to a linear rise in the potential between the two electrodes when a reverse voltage is applied.

Claims

1. A semiconductor component having a small forward voltage and a high blocking ability, comprising:

two mutually spaced-apart electrodes;

a semiconductor body disposed between said two electrodes and defining therein at least one drift path suitable for taking up voltage; and

at least one semi-insulating layer extending parallel to said drift path.

2. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor body is of a first conductivity type and which further comprises regions of a second conductivity type, opposite the first conductivity type, formed in said semiconductor body and extending parallel to said semi-insulating layer.

3. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said semi-insulating layer is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of semi-insulating polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, and amorphous carbon.

4. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said semi-insulating layer is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous silicon and amorphous carbon doped with hydrogen.

5. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said semi-insulating layer has a defined resistivity in a range from 10⁸ to 10¹¹ ohms cm.

6. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor body is formed with a pn junction having two sides, and said semi-insulating layer is disposed adjacent at least one of said two sides.

7. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein a doping in said drift path does not exceed a breakdown charge of the component.

8. The semiconductor component according to claim 7, wherein said drift path is formed of silicon and the doping in said drift path does not exceed 1×

10¹² charge carriers cm<sup>−

2</sup>.

9. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein the at least one semi-insulating layer is one of two semi-insulating layers disposed on both sides of said semiconductor body, and a doping in said drift path does not exceed twice a breakdown charge.

10. The semiconductor component according to claim 9, wherein said drift path is formed of silicon and the doping in said drift path does not exceed 2×

10¹² charge carriers cm<sup>−

2</sup>.

11. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said semi-insulating layer is arranged between said two electrodes.

12. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor body is n-doped.

13. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said drift path is one of a multiplicity of mutually parallel drift paths formed in said semiconductor body.

14. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said electrodes, said semiconductor body, and said semi-insulating layer define a power MOSFET.

15. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said electrodes, said semiconductor body, and said semi-insulating layer define a Schottky diode.

16. The semiconductor component according to claim 1, wherein said electrodes, said semiconductor body, and said semi-insulating layer define a junction field-effect transistor.