Self-bootstrapping field effect diode structures and methods

• US 9,029,921 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Ankoudinov, Alexei, Rodov, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Nhu, David
• Application Number:
  US14/158,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20140131763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 257/288, 257/119, 257/124, 257/126, 257/127, 257/142, 257/148, 257/401, 257/E27.028, 257/E27.029, 257/E21.051, 257/E21.053, 257/E21.352, 257/E21.366, 257/E21.435
• US Class Current: 257/288
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0811 MIS diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0814 Diodes only
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7412 the device being a diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/861 Diodes

Abstract

A two terminal device which can be used for the rectification of the current. Internally it has a regenerative coupling between MOS gates of opposite type and probe regions. This regenerative coupling allows to achieve performance better than that of ideal diode.

Claims

1. A semiconductor diode comprising:

first and second field-effect-gated current-conducting devices of opposite respective conductivity types, the first and second field-effect-gated current-conducting devices each comprising gates, sources, and drains, the first and second field-effect-gated current-conducting devices having respective sources thereof connected together, the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device further comprising a drift region and a semiconductor region formed within the drift region, the gate of the first field-effect-gated current-conducting device being connected to the semiconductor region of the drift region of the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device;

said first and second field-effect-gated current-conducting devices each having respective drain terminals, the drain terminal of the first field-effect-gated current-conducting device being connected to a first external terminal of the semiconductor diode and the drain terminal of the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device being connected to a second external terminal of the semiconductor diode, the first and second external terminals to provide anode and cathode connections of the semiconductor diode, respectively;

wherein the semiconductor diode has no external electrical connection other than the anode and cathode connections.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said gate of the first field-effect-gated current-conducting device is electrically connected to the semiconductor region of the drift region of the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device of the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device, and wherein said semiconductor region is not directly connected to said second external terminal.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said gate of the first field-effect-gated current-conducting device is electrically connected to the semiconductor region of the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device disposed in the drift region of the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device, and wherein said semiconductor region is not directly connected to said second external terminal;

and

wherein said gate of the first field-effect-gated current-conducting device is connected to a second semiconductor region disposed in a drift region of the first field-effect-gated current-conducting device, and wherein said second semiconductor region is not directly connected to said first external terminal.

2. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first semiconductor channel which electrically separates a first semiconductor source of a first conductivity type from a first drift region, the first semiconductor channel being gated by a first gate electrode;

a second semiconductor channel which electrically separates a second semiconductor source of a second conductivity type from a second drift region, the second semiconductor channel being gated by a second gate electrode;

a semiconductor region disposed in the second drift region;

said first and second sources being electrically connected together; and

a first external terminal, which is operatively connected to receive first-type majority carriers through said first drift region, and a second external terminal, which is operatively connected to receive second-type majority carriers through said second drift region;

wherein said first gate electrode is operatively connected to the semiconductor region disposed in the second drift region to receive a potential which is dependent on the potential of said second drift region;

whereby said first and second terminals provide rectification therebetween.

3. A merged semiconductor device comprising:

a first field-effect device, having a first semiconductor channel which electrically separates a first semiconductor source of a first conductivity type from a first drift region, the first semiconductor channel being gated by a first gate electrode, said first drift region supplying first-type majority carriers both to a first drain structure and to a first probe region of the first field-effect device that which is electrically separate from said first drain structure, the first probe region being of the first conductivity type;

a second field-effect device, having a second semiconductor channel which electrically separates a second semiconductor source of a second conductivity type from a second drift region, the second semiconductor channel being gated by a second gate electrode, wherein said second drift region supplies second-type majority carriers to a second drain structure;

wherein said second gate electrode is connected to a first probe region, and said first gate electrode is connected to be driven by said second drift region;

said first and second sources being electrically connected together; and

said first and second drains being connected to external terminals of the merged semiconductor device.

6. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) component of a first conductivity type, the first MOS component comprising a first gate region, a first source region, a first drain region, and a first probe region, wherein the first MOS component is arranged such that, in response to the first MOS component being reverse-biased between the first source region and the first drain region, the first probe region produces a first signal indicating the reverse-biased state;

a second MOS component of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type, the second MOS component comprising a second gate region, a second source region, and a second drain region, wherein the second gate region is electrically connected to the first probe region and the second source region is operatively connected to the first source region;

a first drain contact operatively connected to the first drain region; and

a second drain contact operatively connected to the second drain region.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the semiconductor device is arranged as a diode, the first drain contact being an anode of the diode and the second drain contact being the cathode of the diode.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the first MOS component comprises an opening formed in the first gate region and wherein the first probe region is formed in the opening.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the second gate region is operatively coupled to the first drain region.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the first probe region is more heavily doped than the first source region.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 6,

further comprising a first metal interconnect connecting the first probe region and the second gate.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein, when the semiconductor device is operated, the first MOS component controls the conductivity of the second MOS component via the first signal provided from the first probe region to the second gate region.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein, when the semiconductor device is operated, the first probe region outputs the first signal indicating whether the first MOS component is conductive or nonconductive when the first MOS component is reverse-biased.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the semiconductor device has no external terminals other than the first drain contact and the second drain contact.

15. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) component of a first conductivity type, the first MOS component comprising a first gate region, a first source region, a first drain region, and a first probe region; and

a second MOS component of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type, the second MOS component comprising a second gate region, a second source region, and a second drain region,

wherein a first voltage level of the second gate region follows a second voltage level of the first probe region, and

wherein the second voltage level of the first probe region is set based on whether relative voltage values of the first drain region and first source region make the first MOS component conductive.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the semiconductor device is a two-terminal device having two external terminals, wherein a first external terminal is coupled to the first drain region and a second external terminal is coupled to the second drain region.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16, wherein the semiconductor device is arranged as a diode, the first external terminal being an anode of the diode and the second external terminal being a cathode of the diode.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein a third voltage level of the first source region follows a fourth voltage level of the second source region.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the semiconductor device is arranged such that the first MOS component is able to control a conductivity of the second MOS component and the second MOS component is able to control a conductivity of the first MOS component.

20. The semiconductor device of claim 19, wherein, when the semiconductor device is operated, the first MOS component controls the conductivity of the second MOS component via a regenerative signal provided from the first probe region to the second gate region.

21. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the first probe region is of a same conductivity type as the first source region.

22. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first field-effect device of a first conductivity type, the first field-effect device comprising a first gate region, a first source region, a first drain region, and a first probe region; and

a second field-effect device of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type, the second field-effect device comprising a second gate region, a second source region, and a second drain region,

wherein the first probe region is arranged to control a conductivity of the second field effect device based on whether the first field-effect device is reverse-biased.

23. The semiconductor device of claim 22, wherein the first probe region is arranged to control a conductivity of the second field-effect device based on whether the first field-effect device is reverse-biased between the first source region and the first drain region.

24. The semiconductor device of claim 22, wherein the semiconductor device is a two-terminal device having two external terminals, wherein a first external terminal is coupled to the first drain region and a second external terminal is coupled to the second drain region.

25. The semiconductor device of claim 24, wherein the semiconductor device is arranged as a diode, the first external terminal being an anode of the diode and the second external terminal being a cathode of the diode.

26. The semiconductor device of claim 22, wherein the first source region and the second source region are arranged to maintain a same voltage level.

27. The semiconductor device of claim 22, wherein the first probe region is adapted to output a signal when a voltage level of the first drain region relative to a voltage level of the first source region makes the first field-effect device conductive, and

wherein the second field-effect device is arranged in the semiconductor device such that the conductivity of the second field-effect device is set based at least in part on the signal.

28. The semiconductor device of claim 22, wherein, when the semiconductor device is operated, the first probe region outputs a signal indicating whether the first field-effect device is conductive or nonconductive.