High-voltage vertical transistor with edge termination structure

• US 8,552,496 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Disney, Donald Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Kraig, William F
• Application Number:
  US12/807,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 257328-333, 257/341, 257/342, 257/401, 257/409, 257/487, 257/488, 257/496, 257/520, 257/E29.009, 257/E29.011, 257/E29.012, 257/E29.014, 438/140, 438/192, 438/454
• US Class Current: 257/341
• 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 29/0696 of cellular field-effect devices, e.g. multicellular DMOS transistors or IGBTs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/402 Field plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/407 Recessed field plates, e.g. trench field plates, buried field plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/41741 for vertical or pseudo-vertical devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42368 the thickness being non-uniform
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7802 Vertical DMOS transistors, i.e. VDMOS transistors
• 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 29/7813 with trench gate electrode, e.g. UMOS transistors trench gate electrodes per se H01L29/4236
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7824 with a substrate comprising an insulating layer, e.g. SOI-LDMOS transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7828 without inversion channel, e.g. vertical ACCUFETs, normally-on vertical MISFETs

Abstract

A high-voltage transistor includes a drain, a source, and one or more drift regions extending from the drain toward the source. A field plate member laterally surrounds the drift regions and is insulated from the drift regions by a dielectric layer. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A high-voltage transistor comprising:

a substrate having a top surface;

a drain of a first conductivity type;

a source of the first conductivity type;

a first trench filled with a dielectric material that forms a first dielectric region, the first trench being elongated in a first lateral direction;

a first conductive field plate member disposed in the first dielectric region, the first conductive field plate member being formed as an elongated finger having a length that extends in the first lateral direction and a width in a second lateral direction, the first lateral direction being orthogonal to the second lateral direction, the width being substantially smaller than the length, the first conductive field plate member terminating in a fingertip area at each of two opposite lateral ends of the elongated finger;

a drift region of the first conductivity type that extends in a vertical direction from the drain toward the source, the dielectric material insulating the first conductive field plate member from the drift region, the drift region having a ring shape that extends in the first and second lateral directions that laterally surrounds the first trench, the ring shape being elongated in the first lateral direction;

a second trench that laterally surrounds the drift region, the second trench being filled with the dielectric material that forms a second dielectric region;

a second conductive field plate member disposed in the second dielectric region, an inner portion of the second dielectric region insulating the second conductive field plate member from the drift region,

gate members disposed in the first and second dielectric regions between the drift region and the first and second conductive field plate members, respectively; and

wherein the first conductive field plate member has a thickness that extends in the vertical direction from the top surface of the substrate downward, the first dielectric region laterally separating the drift region from the first conductive field plate member, a lateral width of the first dielectric region separating the first conductive field plate member from the drift region, the lateral width being substantially the same at all points along the thickness of the first conductive field plate member.

2. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 1 wherein the ring shape is substantially rectilinear.

3. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 1 wherein an outer portion of the second dielectric region separates the second conductive field plate member from a scribe area of the high-voltage transistor.

4. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 3 wherein the inner and outer portions have substantially the same width.

5. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 1 wherein the second conductive field plate member comprises an enlarged ring shape that extends in the first and second lateral directions orthogonal to the vertical direction.

6. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 1 wherein the fingertip area has a rounded shape.

7. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 1 wherein the high-voltage transistor is fabricated on a semiconductor substrate having a planar bottom surface, the vertical direction being oriented perpendicular to the planar bottom surface and the first lateral direction and a second lateral direction, the first and second lateral directions being oriented parallel to the planar bottom surface.

8. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 1 wherein the first trench has a length oriented in the first lateral direction and a width oriented in the second lateral direction, the length being more than five times the width.

9. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 1 wherein the first conductivity type comprises n-type.

10. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 1 further comprising a body region of a second conductivity type, the body region separating the source from the drift region.

11. A high-voltage transistor comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of trenches in the substrate which includes an outer trench that laterally surrounds a plurality of inner trenches, the inner trenches being elongated in a first lateral direction and arranged side-by-side in a second lateral direction orthogonal to the first lateral direction, the miter trench and inner trenches defining a mesa region that extends in a vertical direction from a top to a bottom of the trenches in the substrate, the mesa region comprising a plurality of drift regions that extend in the first lateral direction, with each end of the drift regions being connected together by a portion of the mesa region that extends in the second lateral direction, the mesa region laterally surrounding each of the inner trenches;

a plurality of first field plate members, each being disposed in a corresponding one of the inner trenches and insulated from the mesa region by a first dielectric region, each first field plate member having an elongated finger shape with a length that extends in the first lateral direction and a width in the second lateral direction, each of the first conductive field plate members terminating at each of two opposite lateral ends of the elongated finger shape, each of the first field plate members having a thickness that extends in the vertical direction from the top of the trenches downward;

a second field plate member disposed in the outer trench, the second field plate member being insulated from the mesa region by a second dielectric region, the first and second dielectric regions being separated by the mesa region;

gate members disposed in the first and second dielectric regions between the mesa region and the first and second field plate members, respectively.

12. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 11 wherein the second field plate member has a ring shape in the first and second lateral directions.

13. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 11 wherein the first and second dielectric regions each comprise an oxide.

14. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 11 wherein an inner portion of the second dielectric region of the outer trench separates the mesa region from the second field plate member, an outer portion of the second dielectric region of the outer trench separating the second field plate member from a scribe area of the high-voltage transistor.

15. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 14 wherein the inner and outer portions have substantially the same width.

16. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 11 wherein the substrate has a planar bottom surface, the vertical direction being oriented perpendicular to the planar bottom surface.

17. A high-voltage transistor comprising:

a substrate having a top surface;

an outer trench in the substrate;

one or more inner trenches laterally surrounded by the outer trench, the one or more inner trenches being elongated in a first lateral direction, the outer trench and the one or more inner trenches defining a single, continuous mesa of semiconductor material that includes a plurality of drift regions elongated in the first direction and connected together by one or more portions of the single, continuous mesa that extend in a second lateral direction orthogonal to the first lateral direction;

one or more inner field plate members, each being disposed in a corresponding one of the one or more inner trenches and insulated from the single, continuous mesa by a first dielectric region, each of the one or more inner field plate members having an elongated finger shape with a length that extends in the first lateral direction and a width in the second lateral direction, each of the first conductive field plate members terminating at each of two opposite lateral ends of the elongated finger shape, each of the first field plate members having a thickness that extends in the vertical direction from the top surface of the substrate downward;

an outer field plate member disposed in the outer trench, the outer field plate member being insulated from the mesa region by a second dielectric region, the first and second dielectric regions being separated by the single, continuous mesa;

gate members respectively disposed in the first and second dielectric regions between the single, continuous mesa and each of the one or more inner field plate members and the outer field plate member.

18. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 17 wherein the outer field plate member has a ring shape.

19. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 17 wherein the first and second dielectric regions each comprise an oxide.

20. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 17 wherein the outer trench separates the outer field plate member from a scribe area of the high-voltage transistor.

21. The high-voltage transistor according to claim 17 wherein the one or more inner field plate members terminate at each of the two opposite lateral ends in a rounded area.