Ams Ag

Austriamicrosystems Ag

Jordi Teva

Jochen Kraft

Rainer Minixhofer

Frederic Roger

Günther Koppitsch

Martin Schrems

Franz Schrank

Ingrid Jonak-Auer

Stefan Jessenig

Karl Rohracher

Ewald Stueckler

Guenther Koppitsch

Cathal Cassidy

Bernhard Löffler

Jörg Siegert

Ewald Wachmann

Herbert Truppe

Ewald Stückler

A semiconductor body of a first type of conductivity is formed including a base layer, a first further layer on the base layer and a second further layer on the first further layer. The base layer and the second further layer have an intrinsic doping or a doping concentration that is lower than the doping concentration of the first further layer. A doped region of an opposite second type of conductivity is arranged in the semiconductor body, penetrates the first further layer and extends into the base layer and into the second further layer. Anode and cathode terminals are electrically connected to the first further layer and the doped region, respectively. The doped region can be produced by filling a trench with doped polysilicon.

Lateral single-photon avalanche diode and method of producing a lateral single-photon avalanche diode

The lateral single-photon avalanche diode comprises a semiconductor body comprising a semiconductor material of a first type of electric conductivity, a trench in the semiconductor body, and anode and cathode terminals. A junction region of the first type of electric conductivity is located near the sidewall of the trench, and the electric conductivity is higher in the junction region than at a farther distance from the sidewall. A semiconductor layer of an opposite second type of electric conductivity is arranged at the sidewall of the trench adjacent to the junction region. The anode and cathode terminals are electrically connected with the semiconductor layer and with the junction region, respectively. The junction region may be formed by a sidewall implantation.

Lateral single-photon avalanche diode and method of producing a lateral single photon avalanche diode

The method comprises providing a semiconductor substrate, which has a main surface and an opposite further main surface, arranging a contact pad above the further main surface, forming a through-substrate via from the main surface to the further main surface at a distance from the contact pad and, by the same method step together with the through-substrate via, forming a further through-substrate via above the contact pad, arranging a hollow metal via layer in the through-substrate via and, by the same method step together with the metal via layer, arranging a further metal via layer in the further through-substrate via, the further metal via layer contacting the contact pad, and removing a bottom portion of the metal via layer to form an optical via laterally surrounded by the metal via layer.

Semiconductor device with optical and electrical vias

The method comprises the steps of providing a semiconductor body or substrate () with a recess or trench () in a main surface (), applying a mask () on the main surface, the mask covering the recess or trench, so that the walls and bottom of the recess or trench and the mask together enclose a cavity (), which is filled with a gas, and forming at least one opening () in the mask at a distance from the recess or trench, the distance () being adapted to allow the gas to escape from the cavity via the opening when the gas pressure exceeds an external pressure.

Masking method for semiconductor devices with high surface topography

A cutout (), which penetrates the semiconductor body, is present in the semiconductor body (). A conductor layer (), which is electrically conductively connected to a metal plane () on or over the semiconductor body, screens the semiconductor body electrically from the cutout. The conductor layer can be metal, optionally with a barrier layer (), or a doped region of the semiconductor body.

Method for producing a semiconductor device comprising a conductor layer in the semiconductor body and semiconductor body

A lateral avalanche photodiode device comprises a semiconductor substrate () having a trench () with side walls () extending from a main surface () to a rear surface (). A first doped region () is present at the side walls of the trench, and a second doped region () is arranged at a distance from the first doped region. A third doped region () is located adjacent to the first doped region, extends through the substrate from the main surface to the rear surface, and is arranged between the first doped region and the second doped region. The third doped region () is the avalanche multiplication region of the photodiode structure. The second doped region and the third doped region have a first type of conductivity, and the first doped region has a second type of conductivity which is opposite to the first type of conductivity. The region of the substrate that is between the first doped region and the second doped region is of the first type of conductivity.

Lateral avalanche photodiode device and method of production

The photodiode device comprises a doped region () contiguous with a contact region () of the same conductivity type located at the substrate surface (), an appertaining anode or cathode connection (), a further contact region () of an opposite conductivity type at the substrate surface, and a further anode or cathode connection (). The contact region () is arranged at least on opposite sides of an active area of the substrate surface that covers the further contact region (). A lateral pn junction () and an associated space charge region is formed at the substrate surface by a boundary of one of the contact regions, the boundary facing the other contact region. A field electrode () is arranged above the lateral pn junction, separated from the lateral pn junction by a dielectric material (), and is provided with a further electrical connection () separate from the anode and cathode connections. By the field electrode (), the space charge region at the surface () is reduced and the peripheral dark current of the photodiode decreases considerably.

Photodiode device with reducible space charge region

The semiconductor device comprises a substrate () of semiconductor material, a contact hole () reaching from a surface () into the substrate, and a contact metallization () arranged in the contact hole, so that the contact metallization forms an internal substrate contact () on the semiconductor material at least in a bottom area () of the contact hole.

Semiconductor device with internal substrate contact and method of production

The photodiode device has an electrically conductive cathode layer () at a photodiode layer () composed of a semiconductor material. Doped anode regions () are situated at a top side of the photodiode layer facing away from the cathode layer. A trench () subdivides the photodiode layer. A conductor layer () is arranged in or at the trench and electrically conductively connects the cathode layer with a cathode connection (). Anode connections () are electrically conductively connected with the anode regions.

Photodiode device and method for production thereof

The photodiode has a p-type doped region () and an n-type doped region () in a semiconductor body (), and a pn junction () between the p-type doped region and the n-type doped region. The semiconductor body has a cavity () such that the pn junction () has a distance (d) of at most 30 &#x3bc;m from the bottom of the cavity ().

Photodiode and production method

Through the intermetal dielectric () and the semiconductor material of the substrate () a contact hole is formed, and a contact area of a connection metal plane () that faces the substrate is exposed in the contact hole. A metallization () is applied, which forms a connection contact () on the contact area, a through-contact () in the contact hole and a connection contact () on a contact area facing away from the substrate and/or on a vertical conductive connection () of the upper metal plane ().

Method for producing a semiconductor component with a through-contact and semiconductor component with through-contact

A substrate () of semiconductor material is provided with a contact pad (). An opening () is formed through the semiconductor material from an upper surface to the contact pad, the opening forming an edge () at or near the upper surface. A dielectric layer () is applied on the semiconductor material in the opening. A metallization () is applied, which contacts the contact pad and is separated from the substrate by the dielectric layer. A top-metal () is applied, which contacts the metallization at or near the edge. A protection layer () is applied, which covers the top-metal and/or the metallization at least at or near the edge, and a passivation () is applied.

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Veldhoven, Netherlands

Jordi Teva