General Electric Company

North Carolina State University

Silicon Semiconductor Corporation

Silicon Wireless Corporation

Micro-ohm Corporation

Other

Bantval J Baliga

Hsueh-Rong Chang

Tat-Sing P Chow

Deva N Pattanayak

Charles S Korman

Mallikarjunaswamy S Shekar

Dev Alok

Peter V Gray

Mohit Bhatnagar

Michael S Adler

Robert P Love

Krishna Shenai

Patricia A Piacente

James R Shealy

Shang-hui L Tu

Manoj Mehrotra

Mahalingam Nandakumar

Naresh I Thapar

Robert Louis Steigerwald

Victor A Temple

Edward K Howell

Martin F Schlecht

Bernard Gorowitz

Eric J Wildi

Manjin J Kim

Douglas E Houston

Mike F Chang

Khai D Ngo

John P Walden

Surinder Krishna

David W Tong

Wirojana Tantraporn

George C Pifer

Andrew L Robinson

Srikant Sridevan

Gerald B Gidley

Bruce W Wessels

Prasad Venkatraman

Frederick Schlecht

Praveen Muraleedharan Shenoy

Peter Kerr McLarty

A power device includes a packaged semiconductor switch containing first and second series-connected insulated-gate transistors, first and second control terminals electrically connected to the first and second insulated-gate transistors, respectively, first and second current carrying terminals electrically connected to the first and second insulated-gate transistors, respectively, and a voltage-monitoring terminal electrically connected to an internal node shared by first and second current carrying regions within the first and second insulated-gate transistors, respectively. The first and second control terminals can be electrically connected to a gate of the first insulated-gate transistor and a gate of the second insulated-gate transistor, respectively; and the first and second current carrying terminals can be electrically connected to a source of the first insulated-gate transistor and a drain (or collector) of the second insulated-gate transistor. The voltage-monitoring terminal is electrically connected to a drain of the first insulated-gate transistor and a source (or emitter) of the second insulated-gate transistor.

Power devices having tunable saturation current clamps therein that support improved short-circuit capability

A vertical insulated-gate field effect transistor includes a semiconductor substrate and a gate electrode on a first surface thereof. This gate electrode has a plurality of eight (or more) sided openings extending therethrough. Each of these openings has eight (or more) sidewalls, including a first plurality of sidewalls that are flat relative to a center of the opening and second plurality of sidewalls that are either flat or concave relative to the center of the opening. A source electrode is also provided, which extends into the openings. This source electrode may ohmically contact a source region within the semiconductor substrate. If the field effect transistor is a JBSFET, the source electrode may also form a Schottky rectifying junction with a drift region within the semiconductor substrate.

Power MOSFET and JBSFET cell topologies with superior high frequency figure of merit

A monolithically-integrated AC switch includes a semiconductor substrate having first and second insulated-gate field effect transistors therein, which contain first and second spaced-apart and independently-controllable source terminals extending adjacent a first surface of the semiconductor substrate, yet share a common drain electrode extending adjacent a second surface of the semiconductor substrate. According to some of these embodiments of the invention, the first and second insulated-gate field effect transistors include respective first and second independently-controllable gate electrodes, which extend adjacent the first surface. The first and second insulated-gate field effect transistors may be configured as first and second vertical power MOSFETs, respectively. The semiconductor substrate may also include at least one edge termination region therein, which extends between the first and second vertical power MOSFETs.

Monolithically-integrated AC switch having JBSFETs therein with commonly-connected drain and cathode electrodes

An insulated-gate field effect transistor includes a substrate having a drift region and a source region of first conductivity type, and a base region and shielding region of second conductivity type therein. The base region forms a first P-N junction with the source region and the shielding region extends between the drift region and the base region. A transition region of first conductivity type is provided, which is electrically coupled to the drift region. The transition region extends between a first surface of the substrate and the shielding region, and forms a second P-N junction with the base region. An insulated gate electrode is provided on a first surface of the substrate. The insulated gate electrode has an electrically conductive gate therein with a drain-side sidewall extending intermediate the second P-N junction and an end of the shielding region when viewed in transverse cross-section.

Power MOSFETs with superior high frequency figure-of-merit

Methods of forming power semiconductor devices include forming a semiconductor substrate having a drift region of first conductivity type therein and a transition region of first conductivity type that extends between the drift region and a first surface of the semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode is formed on the first surface. Base and base shielding region dopants are implanted into the transition region using the gate electrode as an implant mask. A plurality of annealing steps are performed so that the base shielding region dopants are driven in laterally and vertically to substantially their full and final depth within the substrate and thereby define first and second base shielding regions that constrict a neck of the transition region to a minimum width.

Methods of forming power semiconductor devices having laterally extending base shielding regions

A power MOSFET includes a semiconductor substrate having a drift region therein and first and second transition regions of first conductivity type that extend between the drift region and a first surface of the semiconductor substrate. Each of the first and second transition regions has a vertically retrograded first conductivity type doping profile therein that peaks at a first depth relative to the first surface. First and second shielding regions of second conductivity type are provided in the drift region and define respective P-N junctions with the first transition region. The shielding regions extending laterally towards each other in a manner that constricts a neck of the first transition region to a minimum width at a second depth relative to the first surface. An anode electrode is provided. The anode electrode that extends on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and defines a Schottky rectifying junction with the second transition region.

Integrated circuit power devices having junction barrier controlled schottky diodes therein

A power MOSFET includes a semiconductor substrate having a drift region therein and a transition region that extends between the drift region and a first surface of the semiconductor substrate. The transition region has a vertically retrograded doping profile therein that peaks at a first depth relative to the first surface. An insulated gate electrode is provided that extends on the first surface and has first and second opposing ends. First and second base regions of second conductivity type are provided in the substrate. The first and second base regions are self-aligned to the first and second ends of the insulated gate electrode, respectively, and form respective P-N junctions with opposing sides of an upper portion of the transition region extending adjacent the first surface. First and second source regions are provided in the first and second base regions, respectively. First and second base shielding regions are also provided and these regions are more highly doped and formed deeper than the first and second base regions. The first and second base shielding regions also extend laterally towards each other in the substrate to thereby constrict a neck of the upper portion of the transition region to a minimum width at a second depth relative to the first surface that is deeper than the first and second base regions.

Power semiconductor devices having laterally extending base shielding regions that inhibit base reach-through

Power MOSFET devices provide highly linear transfer characteristics (e.g., I v. V ) and can be used effectively in linear power amplifiers. These linear transfer characteristics are provided by a device having a channel that operates in a linear mode and a drift region that simultaneously supports large voltages and operates in a current saturation mode. A relatively highly doped transition region is provided between the channel region and the drift region. Upon depletion, this transition region provides a potential barrier that supports simultaneous linear and current saturation modes of operation. Highly doped shielding regions may also be provided that contribute to depletion of the transition region.

Vertical power devices having retrograded-doped transition regions therein

A power field effect transistor utilizes a retrograded-doped transition region to enhance forward on-state and reverse breakdown voltage characteristics. Highly doped shielding regions may also be provided that extend adjacent the transition region and contribute to depletion of the transition region during both forward on-state conduction and reverse blocking modes of operation. In a vertical embodiment, the transition region has a peak first conductivity type dopant concentration at a first depth relative to a surface on which gate electrodes are formed. A product of the peak dopant concentration and a width of the transition region at the first depth is preferably in a range between 1&times;10 cm and 7&times;10 cm .

Vertical power devices having retrograded-doped transition regions and insulated trench-based electrodes therein

Methods of forming vertical MOSFETs include forming a base region of second conductivity type in a semiconductor substrate having a drift region of first conductivity type therein that forms a P-N junction with the base region. A source region of first conductivity type is formed in the base region and a deep trench, having a first sidewall that extends adjacent the base region, is formed in the substrate. The deep trench is lined with a first electrically insulating layer. The deep trench is then refilled with a trench-based source electrode. The trench-based source electrode is selectively etched to define a shallow trench therein and expose a first portion of the first electrically insulating layer that extends on the first sidewall of the deep trench. The first portion of the first electrically insulating layer is selectively etched to expose an upper portion of the first sidewall of the deep trench and reveal the base region. The shallow trench is lined with a gate insulating layer that extends on the exposed upper portion of the first sidewall of the deep trench and a bottom and sidewalls of the shallow trench. A gate electrode is formed in the lined shallow trench. A surface source electrode is also formed. This source electrode electrically connects the trench-based source electrode, source region and base region together.

Methods of forming vertical mosfets having trench-based gate electrodes within deeper trench-based source electrodes

Integrated power devices include a plurality of field effect transistor unit cells and a Faraday shield layer that reduces parasitic gate-to-drain capacitance (Cgd) and concomitantly improves high frequency switching performance. These power devices may include a field effect transistor in an active portion of a semiconductor substrate and a gate electrode that is electrically connected to a gate of the field effect transistor. A Faraday shield layer is provided between at least a first portion of the gate electrode and a drain of the field effect transistor in order to capacitively decouple the first portion of the gate electrode from the drain. The gate electrode and drain typically extend adjacent opposing faces of the semiconductor substrate. The Faraday shield layer is preferably electrically connected to a source of the field effect transistor and provides edge termination.

Radio frequency (RF) power devices having faraday shield layers therein

Vertical power devices include a semiconductor substrate having a drift region of first conductivity type therein and first and second stripe-shaped trenches that extend in the semiconductor substrate and define a drift region mesa therebetween. First and second insulated source electrodes are provided in the first and second stripe-shaped trenches, respectively. A UMOSFET, comprising a third trench that is shallower than the first and second stripe-shaped trenches, is provided in the drift region mesa.

Vertical power devices having trench-based electrodes therein

Vertical MOSFETs include a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of semiconductor mesas therein that are separated by a plurality of deep stripe-shaped trenches. These stripe-shaped trenches extend in parallel and lengthwise across the substrate in a first direction. A plurality of buried insulated source electrodes are formed in the in the plurality of deep stripe-shaped trenches. A plurality of insulated gate electrodes are also provided that extend in parallel across the plurality of semiconductor mesas and into shallow trenches defined within the plurality of buried insulated source electrodes. A surface source electrode is provided on the substrate. The surface source electrode is electrically connected to each of the buried source electrodes at multiple locations along the length of each buried source electrode and these multiple connections decrease the effective source electrode resistance and enhance device switching speed.

Vertical MOSFETs having trench-based gate electrodes within deeper trench-based source electrodes

Packaged power devices include an electrically conductive flange having a slot therein and an electrically conductive substrate mounted within the slot. A dielectric layer is provided on the electrically conductive substrate and a gate electrode strip line is patterned on the dielectric layer. The gate electrode strip line extends opposite the electrically conductive substrate. A vertical MOSFET is also provided. The vertical MOSFET has a source electrically coupled and mounted to a first portion of the flange located outside the slot and a gate electrode electrically coupled and mounted to a first end of the gate electrode strip line.

Packaged power devices having vertical power mosfets therein that are flip-chip mounted to slotted gate electrode strip lines

MOSFET embodiments of the present invention provide highly linear transfer characteristics (e.g., I v. V ) and can be used effectively in linear power amplifiers. These linear transfer characteristics are provided by a MOSFET having a channel that operates in a linear mode and a drift region that simultaneously supports large voltages and operates in a current saturation mode. A relatively highly doped transition region is preferably provided between the channel region and the drift region. Upon depletion, this transition region provides a potential barrier that supports separate and simultaneous linear and current saturation modes.

MOSFET devices having linear transfer characteristics when operating in velocity saturation mode and methods of forming and operating same

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Bantval J Baliga