Power semiconductor switching devices, power converters, integrated circuit assemblies, integrated circuitry, power current switching methods, methods of forming a power semiconductor switching device, power conversion methods, power semiconductor switching device packaging methods, and methods of forming a power transistor

• US 7,019,337 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Isothermal Systems Research Inc.
• Inventors: Smetana, Bruce A., Eden, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schillinger, Laura M.
• Application Number:
  US10/703,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20040135168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 257/107, 257/133, 257/581
• US Class Current: 257/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16235 the bump connector connecting to a via metallisation of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4824 Pads with extended contours, e.g. grid structure, branch structure, finger structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49822 Multilayer substrates multilayer metallisation on monolayer substrate H01L23/498
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49827 Via connections through the substrates, e.g. pins going through the substrate, coaxial cables H01L23/49822, H01L23/49833, H01L23/4985, H01L23/49861 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49838 Geometry or layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/50 for integrated circuit devices, e.g. power bus, number of leadsH01L23/482 - H01L23/498 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/642 Capacitive arrangements H01L23/49589, H01L23/645, H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence; capacitive effects between wiring layers on the semiconductor body H01L23/5222
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/17 of a plurality of bump connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/088 the components being field-effect transistors with insulated gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/41725 Source or drain electrodes for field effect devices with monocrystalline semiconductor on source/drain region H01L29/0843
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4238 characterised by the surface lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78 with field effect produced by an insulated gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7802 Vertical DMOS transistors, i.e. VDMOS transistors
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0101 : Neon [Ne]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01011 : Sodium [Na]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01012 : Magnesium [Mg]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 : Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01015 : Phosphorus [P]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01018 : Argon [Ar]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 : Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0102 : Calcium [Ca]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 : Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01025 : Manganese [Mn]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 : Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01037 : Rubidium [Rb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01038 : Strontium [Sr]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01039 : Yttrium [Y]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01041 : Niobium [Nb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01042 : Molybdenum [Mo]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01043 : Technetium [Tc]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01045 : Rhodium [Rh]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01046 : Palladium [Pd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01051 : Antimony [Sb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01052 : Tellurium [Te]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01056 : Barium [Ba]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01057 : Lanthanum [La]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01061 : Promethium [Pm]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01068 : Erbium [Er]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01073 : Tantalum [Ta]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01074 : Tungsten [W]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01076 : Osmium [Os]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01077 : Iridium [Ir]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 : Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01087 : Francium [Fr]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01094 : Plutonium [Pu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12032 : Schottky diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1306 : Field-effect transistor [FET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 : Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1433 : Application-specific integrated circuit [ASIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15151 : the die mounting substrate comprising an aperture, e.g. for underfilling, outgassing, window type wire connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 : being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15747 : Copper [Cu] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19042 : being an inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 : with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33576 : having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 : having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 : Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Power semiconductor switching devices, power converters, integrated circuit assemblies, integrated circuitry, power current switching methods, methods of forming a power semiconductor switching device, power conversion methods, power semiconductor switching device packaging methods, and methods of forming a power transistor are described. One exemplary aspect provides a power semiconductor device including a semiconductive substrate having a surface; and a power transistor having a planar configuration and comprising a plurality of electrically coupled sources and a plurality of electrically coupled drains formed using the semiconductive substrate and adjacent the surface.

Claims

1. A power current switching method comprising:

providing a power transistor comprising a planar, horizontally configured MOSFET having a plurality of high-current power electrodes provided adjacent to a common surface, wherein the power transistor further comprises a plurality of electrically coupled sources and a plurality of electrically coupled drains;

receiving a control signal;

selectively conducting power currents intermediate the electrically coupled-sources and electrically coupled drains responsive to the control signal; and

conducting free wheeling currents intermediate the electrically coupled sources and the electrically coupled drains using a circuit coupled with the power transistor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the power transistor comprises coupling at least one thousand planar transistors in parallel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the power transistor comprises coupling a plurality of gates of a plurality of transistors in common.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the selectively conducting comprises selectively conducting power currents comprising currents in excess of one Ampere.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the power transistor comprises providing the power transistor comprising a bypass capacitor intermediate the electrically coupled sources and a V_dd contact.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising charging a plurality of electrically coupled gates of the power transistor using the bypass capacitor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the power transistor comprises providing the power transistor comprising a plurality of MOSFET devices.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the conducting free wheeling currents comprises conducting responsive to a voltage at a drain of the power transistor being more negative than a source of the power transistor with respect to a common voltage reference.

9. A power current switching method comprising:

providing a power transistor comprising a planar configuration and having a plurality of electrically coupled sources and a plurality of electrically coupled drains;

receiving a control signal;

selectively conducting power currents intermediate the electrically coupled-sources and electrically coupled drains responsive to the control signal;

conducting free wheeling currents intermediate the electrically coupled sources and the electrically coupled drains using a circuit coupled with the power transistor; and

wherein the providing the power transistor comprises providing the power transistor in a semiconductive die having a flip chip configuration.

10. A power current switching method comprising:

providing a power transistor comprising a planar configuration and having a plurality of electrically coupled sources and a plurality of electrically coupled drains;

receiving a control signal;

selectively conducting power currents intermediate the electrically coupled-sources and electrically coupled drains responsive to the control signal;

conducting free wheeling currents intermediate the electrically coupled sources and the electrically coupled drains using a circuit coupled with the power transistor; and

wherein the providing the power transistor comprises providing the power transistor including the circuit comprising body diode circuitry intermediate the electrically coupled sources and the electrically coupled drains.

11. A power current switching method comprising:

providing a power transistor comprising a planar configuration and having a plurality of electrically coupled sources and a plurality of electrically coupled drains;

receiving a control signal;

selectively conducting power currents intermediate the electrically coupled-sources and electrically coupled drains responsive to the control signal;

conducting free wheeling currents intermediate the electrically coupled sources and the electrically coupled drains using a circuit coupled with the power transistor; and

wherein the providing the power transistor comprises providing the power transistor including the circuit comprising body diode circuitry configured as an n-channel field effect transistor having a gate and a source electrically coupled.

12. A power current switching method comprising:

providing a power transistor comprising a planar configuration and having a plurality of electrically coupled sources and a plurality of electrically coupled drains;

receiving a control signal;

selectively conducting power currents intermediate the electrically coupled-sources and electrically coupled drains responsive to the control signal;

conducting free wheeling currents intermediate the electrically coupled sources and the electrically coupled drains using a circuit coupled with the power transistor; and

wherein the providing the power transistor comprises providing the power transistor including the circuit comprising body diode circuitry configured as a p-channel field effect transistor.

13. A power current switching method comprising:

providing a power transistor comprising a planar configuration and having a plurality of electrically coupled sources and a plurality of electrically coupled drains;

receiving a control signal;

selectively conducting power currents intermediate the electrically coupled-sources and electrically coupled drains responsive to the control signal;

conducting free wheeling currents intermediate the electrically coupled sources and the electrically coupled drains using a circuit coupled with the power transistor; and

wherein the circuit comprises body diode circuitry.

14. A power current switching method comprising:

providing a power transistor comprising a planar configuration and having a plurality of electrically coupled sources and a plurality of electrically coupled drains;

receiving a control signal;

selectively conducting power currents intermediate the electrically coupled-sources and electrically coupled drains responsive to the control signal;

conducting free wheeling currents intermediate the electrically coupled sources and the electrically coupled drains using inherent body diode circuitry of the power transistor.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising controlling a voltage of a gate of the power transistor to be substantially equal to or greater than a voltage of the electrically coupled sources with respect to a common voltage reference to provide the inherent body diode circuitry.