Semiconductor device having an edge termination structure and method of manufacture thereof
First Claim
1. A semiconductor device having a semiconductor body comprising an active area and a termination structure surrounding the active area, the termination structure comprising a plurality of lateral trenchgate transistor devices connected in series and extending from the active area towards a peripheral edge of the semiconductor body, each lateral device comprising a trench having a gate electrode therein separated from the semiconductor body by a layer of gate insulating material, the gate electrodes of the lateral devices extending through a region of a first conductivity type, and part way through an underlying region of a second, opposite conductivity type, the first conductivity type being one of n-type or p-type and the second conductivity type being the other of n-type or p-type, with each lateral device including an electrically conductive connection arranged between its gate electrode and the first conductivity type region at the side of the lateral device closer to the active area and configured to distribute a voltage difference between the active area and the peripheral edge across the lateral devices.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A semiconductor device having a semiconductor body comprising an active area and a termination structure surrounding the active area, and a method for the manufacture thereof. The invention particularly concerns a termination structure for such devices having trenched electrodes in the active area. The termination structure comprises a plurality of lateral trench-gate transistor devices connected in series and extending from the active area towards a peripheral edge of the semiconductor body. The lateral devices are arranged such that a voltage difference between the active area and the peripheral edge is distributed across the lateral devices. The termination structure is compact and features of the structure are susceptible for formation in the same process steps as features of the active area.
13 Citations
12 Claims
- 1. A semiconductor device having a semiconductor body comprising an active area and a termination structure surrounding the active area, the termination structure comprising a plurality of lateral trenchgate transistor devices connected in series and extending from the active area towards a peripheral edge of the semiconductor body, each lateral device comprising a trench having a gate electrode therein separated from the semiconductor body by a layer of gate insulating material, the gate electrodes of the lateral devices extending through a region of a first conductivity type, and part way through an underlying region of a second, opposite conductivity type, the first conductivity type being one of n-type or p-type and the second conductivity type being the other of n-type or p-type, with each lateral device including an electrically conductive connection arranged between its gate electrode and the first conductivity type region at the side of the lateral device closer to the active area and configured to distribute a voltage difference between the active area and the peripheral edge across the lateral devices.
- 8. A method of forming a semiconductor device having a semiconductor body comprising an active area and a termination structure surrounding the active area, the termination structure comprising a plurality of lateral trench-gate transistor devices connected in series and extending from the active area towards a peripheral edge of the semiconductor body, each lateral device comprising a trench having a gate electrode therein separated from the semiconductor body by a layer of gate insulating material, the gate electrodes of the lateral devices extending through a region of a first conductivity type, and part way through an underlying region of a second, opposite conductivity type, the first conductivity type being one of n-type or p-type and the second conductivity type being the other of n-type or p-type, with each lateral device including an electrically conductive connection arranged between its gate electrode and the first conductivity type region at the side of the lateral device closer to the active area and configured to distribute a voltage difference between the active area and the peripheral edge across the lateral devices, the method comprising forming the trenches, gate electrodes and layers of gate insulating material of the lateral devices in the same respective process steps as trenches, insulated electrodes therein and layers of material insulating the insulated electrodes of devices in the active area.
-
10. A semiconductor device including a semiconductor body, the semiconductor device comprising:
-
an active area; a termination structure surrounding the active area; a plurality of lateral trenchgate transistor devices in the termination structure and configured and arranged in series extending from the active area towards a peripheral edge of the semiconductor body; a trench in each of the lateral trenchgate transistor devices; a gate electrode, associated with each of the trenches, extending through a region of a first conductivity type, and partially through an underlying region of a second opposite conductivity type and separated from the semiconductor body by a layer of gate insulating material;
the first conductivity type being one of n-type or p-type and the second conductivity type being the other of n-type or p-type, andan electrically conductive connection between the gate electrode of each lateral device and the first conductivity type region at the side of the lateral device closer to the active area, the electrically conductive connection being configured and arranged to distribute a voltage difference between the active area and the peripheral edge across the lateral devices. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
Specification