Semiconductor device

• US 9,570,436 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2013
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Government of Japan)
• Original Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Government of Japan)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Akira, Nishizawa, Shinichi, Ohashi, Hiromichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Long K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vuong, Thai T
• Application Number:
  US14/407,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20150155273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 257/76
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0455 Making n or p doped regions or layers, e.g. using diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/049 Conductor-insulator-semiconductor electrodes, e.g. MIS contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0248 for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0255 using diodes as protective elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0266 using field effect transistors as protective elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0605 integrated circuits made of compound material, e.g. AIIIBV
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0629 in combination with diodes, or resistors, or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/04 characterised by their crystalline structure, e.g. polycrystalline, cubic or particular orientation of crystalline planes characterised by physical imperfections H01L29/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/045 by their particular orientation of crystalline planes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1066 Gate region of field-effect devices with PN junction gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1075 of field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1083 with an inactive supplementary region, e.g. for preventing punch-through, improving capacity effect or leakage current
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1087 characterised by the contact structure of the substrate region, e.g. for controlling or preventing bipolar effect
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1602 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1608 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/205 in different semiconductor regions , e.g. heterojunctions
• 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 29/4236 within a trench, e.g. trench gate electrode, groove gate electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/475 on AIII-BV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66068 : the devices being controllable only by the electric current supplied or the electric potential applied, to an electrode which does not carry the current to be rectified, amplified or switched, e.g. three-terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7787 : with wide bandgap charge-carrier supplying layer, e.g. direct single heterostructure MODFET
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7816 : Lateral DMOS transistors, i.e. LDMOS transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7835 : with asymmetrical source and drain regions, e.g. lateral high-voltage MISFETs with drain offset region, extended drain MISFETs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7841 : with floating body, e.g. programmable transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/8083 : Vertical transistors SIT H01L29/7722
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/872 : Schottky diodes

Abstract

The present invention provides a semiconductor device that prevents destruction due to an avalanche breakdown and that has a high tolerance against breakdown by configuring the device so as to have a punch-through breakdown function therein and such that the breakdown voltage of a punch-through breakdown is lower than an avalanche breakdown voltage so that an avalanche breakdown does not occur.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

A semiconductor structure configured to let a breakdown current occur due to a punch through breakdown,

wherein the breakdown current flows by passing through a heterojunction interface that comprises polarization charges having a same polarity as that of carriers carrying the breakdown current,

wherein the semiconductor structure comprises;

a first semiconductor region disposed over a substrate and having a first conductivity type;

a second semiconductor region having the first conductivity type; and

a third semiconductor region located between the first and second semiconductor regions and having a second conductivity type,

wherein the semiconductor device comprises;

a first electrode having an ohmic characteristic with respect to the first semiconductor region;

a second electrode having an ohmic characteristic with respect to the second semiconductor region; and

a third electrode having a contact with the second semiconductor region and adjacent to the second electrode,

wherein when a voltage positive or negative with respect to the first and third electrodes is applied to the second electrode during an On state, an On current by carriers having the first conductivity type flows between the second and third electrodes,

wherein when a voltage positive or negative with respect to the first and third electrodes is applied to the second electrode during an Off state, the breakdown current by carriers having the first conductivity type flows between the second electrode and the first electrode, and

wherein a current value of a leakage current flowing between the second and third electrodes is at most equal to or less than 1/1,000 of a current value of the On current.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein a semiconductor of the semiconductor structure has a hexagonal crystal structure, and the breakdown current flows in a direction of a c-axis of the semiconductor.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the punch-through breakdown occurs by depletion of the third semiconductor region located between the substrate and the second electrode.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is electrically short-circuited with the third electrode.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the third semiconductor region is electrically floating.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the semiconductor device is a field effect transistor,

wherein the second electrode is a drain electrode,

wherein the third electrode is a source electrode, and

wherein the semiconductor device further comprises a gate electrode as a fourth electrode between the second electrode and the third electrode.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the semiconductor device is a Schottky barrier diode,

wherein the second electrode is a cathode electrode,

wherein the third electrode is an anode electrode having a Schottky characteristic with respect to the second semiconductor region.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is a field effect transistor,

wherein the second electrode is a drain electrode,

wherein the third electrode is a source electrode,

wherein the semiconductor device further comprises a gate electrode as a fourth electrode between the second electrode and the third electrode, and

wherein the semiconductor device is cascoded with another transistor in which an avalanche breakdown occurs, by the source electrode being short-circuited with a drain electrode of the another transistor.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a breakdown voltage of the punch-through breakdown is lower than an avalanche breakdown voltage.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is a unipolar transistor or a unipolar diode.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a semiconductor of the semiconductor structure is a wide band gap semiconductor.

12. A semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor structure configured to let a breakdown current occur due to a punch through breakdown, wherein the semiconductor structure comprises:

a first semiconductor region disposed over a substrate and having a first conductivity type;

a second semiconductor region having the first conductivity type; and

a third semiconductor region located between the first and second semiconductor regions and having a second conductivity type,

wherein the semiconductor device comprises;

a first electrode having an ohmic characteristic with respect to the first semiconductor region;

a second electrode having an ohmic characteristic with respect to the second semiconductor region; and

a third electrode having a contact with the second semiconductor region and adjacent to the second electrode,

wherein when a voltage positive or negative with respect to the first and third electrodes is applied to the second electrode during an On state, an On current by carriers having the first conductivity type flows between the second and third electrodes,

wherein when a voltage positive or negative with respect to the first and third electrodes is applied to the second electrode during an Off state, the breakdown current by carriers having the first conductivity type flows between the second electrode and the first electrode, and

wherein a current value of a leakage current flowing between the second and third electrodes is at most equal to or less than 1/1,000 of a current value of the On current.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the punch-through breakdown occurs by depletion of the third semiconductor region located between the substrate and the second electrode.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the first electrode is electrically short-circuited with the third electrode.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the first electrode is electrically short-circuited with the third electrode.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the third semiconductor region is electrically floating.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductor device is a field effect transistor,

wherein the second electrode is a drain electrode,

wherein the third electrode is a source electrode, and

wherein the semiconductor device further comprises a gate electrode as a fourth electrode between the second electrode and the third electrode.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductor device is a Schottky barrier diode,

wherein the second electrode is a cathode electrode,

wherein the third electrode is an anode electrode having a Schottky characteristic with respect to the second semiconductor layer.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductor device is a field effect transistor,

wherein the second electrode is a drain electrode,

wherein the third electrode is a source electrode,

wherein the semiconductor device further comprises a gate electrode as a fourth electrode between the second electrode and the third electrode, and

wherein the semiconductor device is cascoded with another transistor in which an avalanche breakdown occurs, by the source electrode being short-circuited with a drain electrode of the another transistor.