Edge structure and drift region for a semiconductor component and production method

• US 6,274,904 B1
• Filed: 09/02/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Tihanyi, Jenoe
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhuri, Olik
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAI SING
• Application Number:
  US09/387,388
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 257/256, 257/263, 257/279, 257/328, 257/329
• US Class Current: 257/329
• 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 29/0623 Buried supplementary region, e.g. buried guard ring multi-RESURF H01L29/0634
• 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 29/0878 Impurity concentration or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1608 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/404 Multiple field plate structures
• 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 29/8083 Vertical transistors SIT H01L29/7722
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/8611 Planar PN junction diodes

Abstract

The invention relates to an edge structure and a drift region for a semiconductor component. A semiconductor body of the one conductivity type has an edge area with a plurality of regions of the other conductivity type embedded in at least two mutually different planes. Underneath an active zone of the semiconductor component the regions are connected over different planes via connection zone, but the regions are otherwise floating.

Claims

1. An edge structure and drift region of a semiconductor component, comprising:

a semiconductor body of a first conductivity type formed of a plurality of planes;

an active zone of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type disposed in said semiconductor body;

a plurality of regions of the second conductivity type embedded in at least two mutually different planes in said semiconductor body; and

connection zones formed in an area substantially underneath said active zone, connecting said regions to one another across different said planes, whereby said regions are otherwise floating regions.

2. The edge structure and drift region according to claim 1, which further comprises an insulation layer formed on said semiconductor body and field plates disposed in said insulation layer and each electrically connected to said regions of an uppermost plane of said semiconductor body.

3. The edge structure and drift region according to claim 2, which further comprises protective rings of the second conductivity type formed in a surface region of said semiconductor body and connected to said field plates.

4. The edge structure and drift region according to claim 1, which further comprises protective rings of the second conductivity type formed in a surface region of said semiconductor body and field plates connected to said protective rings.

5. The edge structure and drift region according to claim 1, wherein, in an edge region, a quantity of dopant of the second conductivity type is higher than a quantity of dopant of the first conductivity type.

6. The edge structure and drift region according to claim 1, wherein said connection zones are more weakly doped than said regions.

7. The edge structure and drift region according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor body is formed of silicon.

8. The edge structure and drift region according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor body is formed of silicon carbide.

9. The edge structure and drift region according to claim 1, which further comprises service life killer atoms introduced in said regions.