Abb Schweiz Ag

Hitachi Energy Ltd

Hitachi Energy Switzerland Ag

Paul Commin

Jan Vobecky

Fabian Mohn

Marco Bellini

Tobias Wikstroem

Thomas Stiasny

Jagoda Dobrzynska

Kranthi Kumar Akurati

Dobrzynska Jagoda

A semiconductor device with a semiconductor body is specified, the semiconductor body extending in a vertical direction between a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface. The semiconductor body comprises a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type thereby forming a first pn junction, wherein the first semiconductor layer is more heavily doped than the second semiconductor layer. A side surface of the semiconductor body extending between the first main surface and the second main surface delimits the semiconductor body in a lateral direction comprises a first partial region and a second partial region, wherein the first partial region and the second partial region delimit the first semiconductor layer in regions.

Semiconductor device with a side surface having different partial regions

A turn-off power semiconductor device includes first and second thyristor cells, a common gate contact and a plurality of stripe-shaped electrically conductive first gate runners. Each first gate runner has a first end portion, a second end portion opposite to the first end portion and a first connecting portion connecting the first end portion and the second end portion. The first end portion is directly connected to the common gate contact. The first gate electrode layer portions of all first thyristor cells are implemented as a first gate electrode layer. The second gate electrode layer portions of all second thyristor cells are implemented as a second gate electrode layer. The first gate electrode layer is directly connected to the common gate contact. At least the first connecting portion of each first gate runner is separated from the first gate electrode layer.

Turn-off power semiconductor device with gate runners

A semiconductor device comprises two electrodes with opposite faces; a semiconductor wafer sandwiched between the two electrodes; an outer insulating ring attached to the two electrodes and surrounding the semiconductor wafer; a middle insulating ring inside the outer insulating ring and surrounding the semiconductor wafer, whereby the middle insulating ring is made of a plastics material; and an inner insulating ring inside the middle insulating ring, whereby the inner insulating ring is made of ceramics and/or glass material. Either the middle insulating ring or the inner insulating ring has a tongue and the other thereof has a groove such that the tongue fits into the groove for their rotational alignment. The middle insulating ring and the inner insulating ring have a radial opening for receiving a gate connection of the semiconductor device.

Semiconductor device

There is provided a thyristor having emitter shorts, wherein in an orthogonal projection onto a plane parallel to a first main side, a contact area covered by an electrical contact of a first electrode layer with a first emitter layer and the emitter shorts includes areas in the shape of lanes, in which an area coverage of the emitter shorts is less than the area coverage of emitter shorts in the remaining area of the contact area, wherein the area coverage of the emitter shorts in a specific area is the area covered by the emitter shorts in that specific area relative to the specific area. The thyristor of the invention exhibits a fast turn-on process even without complicated amplifying gate structure.

Thyristor with improved plasma spreading

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Zürich, Switzerland

Paul Commin