D3 Semiconductor LLC

Dallas Semiconductor Corporation

Wolfspeed, Inc.

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

Thomas E Harrington, Iii

Edward Robert Van Brunt

Zhijun Qu

Sei-Hyung Ryu

Robert Kuo-Chang Yang

Daniel Jenner Lichtenwalner

Brice McPherson

Brett Hull

Joe W McPherson

Shadi Sabri

John V Spohnheimer

Robert D Lee

Allan T Mitchell

Kijeong Han

Jack G Qian

Roy Austin Hensley

Joohyung Kim

Tanmay Kumar

Varun Singh

Yue Zu

Hoang Phung Nguyen

Power semiconductor devices include a semiconductor layer structure comprising an active area with a plurality of unit cell transistors and an inactive gate pad area, a gate resistor layer on an upper side of the semiconductor layer structure, an inner contact that is directly on the upper side of the gate resistor layer, and an outer contact that is directly on the upper side of the gate resistor layer. The outer contact encloses the inner contact within the inactive gate pad area of the semiconductor device.

Semiconductor devices having gate resistors with low variation in resistance values

Semiconductor devices, and more particularly semiconductor devices with improved edge termination structures are disclosed. A semiconductor device includes a drift region that forms part of an active region. An edge termination region is arranged along a perimeter of the active region and also includes a portion of the drift region. The edge termination region includes one or more sub-regions of an opposite doping type than the drift region and one or more electrodes may be capacitively coupled to the drift region by way of the one or more sub-regions. During a forward blocking mode for the semiconductor device, the one or more electrodes may provide a path that draws ions away from passivation layers that are on the edge termination region and away from the active region. In this manner, the semiconductor device may exhibit reduced leakage, particularly at higher operating voltages and higher associated operating temperatures.

Edge termination structures for semiconductor devices

A power semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer structure comprising a drift region of a first conductivity type, and first and second contacts on the semiconductor layer structure. The drift region comprises a wide bandgap semiconductor material, and is configured to provide unipolar conduction between the first and second contacts below a current density threshold, and bipolar conduction between the first and second contacts above the current density threshold. Related devices and fabrication methods are also discussed.

Wide bandgap unipolar/bipolar transistor

Strategic placement and patterning of electrodes, vias, and metal runners can significantly reduce strain in a power semiconductor die. By modifying the path defining electrodes, vias, and metal runners, as well as patterning the material layers thereof, strain can be better managed to increase reliability of a power semiconductor die.

Power semiconductor device with reduced strain

Shielding techniques are used to provide an embedded sensor element such as a temperature sensing element on a wide bandgap power semiconductor device. A semiconductor device may include a drift layer and an embedded sensor element. The drift layer may be a wide bandgap semiconductor material. A shielding structure is provided in the drift layer below the embedded sensor element. The embedded sensor element may be provided between contacts that are in electrical contact with the shielding well. The distance between the contacts may be minimized. A noise reduction well may be provided between the contacts to further isolate the embedded sensor element from parasitic signals.

Wide bandgap semiconductor device with sensor element

A power semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor layer structure comprising a drift region that comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor material and has a first conductivity type, a first gate structure and an adjacent second gate structure in an upper portion of the semiconductor layer structure, a deep shielding region in the drift region, and a connection region protruding upwardly from the deep shielding region and separating the first gate structure and the second gate structure from each other. The deep shielding region extends from underneath the first gate structure to underneath the second gate structure, and the deep shielding region has a second conductivity type that is different from the first conductivity type.

Gate trench power semiconductor devices having improved deep shield connection patterns

Methods and designs are provided for a vertical power semiconductor switch having an IGBT-with-built-in-diode bottom-side structure combined with a SJMOS topside structure in such a way as to provide fast switching with low switching losses (MOSFET), low on-resistance at low currents (SJMOS), low on-resistance at high currents (IGBT), and high current-density capability (IGBT).

Super junction MOS bipolar transistor having drain gaps

A vertical power switching device, such as a vertical superjunction metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MOSFET), in which termination structures in the corners of the integrated circuit are stretched to efficiently shape the lateral electric field. Termination structures in the device include such features as doped regions, field plates, insulator films, and high-voltage conductive regions and elements at the applied substrate voltage. Edges of these termination structures are shaped and placed according to a 2-order smooth, non-circular analytic function so as to extend deeper into the die corner from the core region of the device than a constant-distance path. Also disclosed are electrically floating guard rings in the termination region, to inhibit triggering of parasitic p-n-p-n structures.

Termination region architecture for vertical power transistors

A semiconductor device comprises a vertical power device, such as a superjunction MOSFET, an IGBT, a diode, and the like, and a surface device that comprises one or more lateral devices that are electrically active along a top surface of the semiconductor device.

Surface devices within a vertical power device

Improvement of key electrical specifications of vertical semiconductor devices, usually found in the class of devices known as discrete semiconductors, has a direct impact on the performance achievement and power efficiency of the systems in which these devices are used. Imprecise vertical device specifications cause system builders to either screen incoming devices for their required specification targets or to design their system with lower performance or lower efficiency than desired. Disclosed is an architecture and method for achieving a desired target specification for a vertical semiconductor device. Precise trimming of threshold voltage improves targeting of both on-resistance and switching time. Precise trimming of gate resistance also improves targeting of switching time. Precise trimming of a device's effective width improves targeting of both on-resistance and current-carrying capability. Device parametrics are trimmed to improve a single device, or a parametric specification is targeted to match specifications on two or more devices.

Device architecture and method for precision enhancement of vertical semiconductor devices

A semiconductor field-effect device is disclosed that utilizes an octagonal or inverse-octagonal deep trench super-junction in combination with an octagonal or inverse-octagonal gate trench. The field-effect device achieves improved packing density, improved current density, and improved on resistance, while at the same time maintaining compatibility with the multiple-of-45&#xb0;-angles of native photomask processing and having well characterized (), () and () (and their equivalent) silicon sidewall surfaces for selective epitaxial refill and gate oxidation, resulting in improved scalability. By varying the relative length of each sidewall surface, devices with differing threshold voltages can be achieved without additional processing steps. Mixing trenches with varying sidewall lengths also allows for stress balancing during selective epitaxial refill.

Device architecture and method for improved packing of vertical field effect devices

A vertical drift metal-oxide-semiconductor (VDMOS) transistor with improved contact to source and body regions, and a method of fabricating the same. A masked ion implant of the source regions into opposite-type body regions defines the locations of body contact regions, which are implanted subsequently with a blanket implant. The surface of the source regions and body contact regions are silicide clad, and an overlying insulator layer deposited and planarized. Contact openings are formed through the planarized insulator layer, within which conductive plugs are formed to contact the metal silicide, and thus the source and body regions of the device. A metal conductor is formed overall to the desired thickness, and contacts the conductive plugs to provide bias to the source and body regions.

Growing community of inventors

Carrollton, TX, United States of America

Thomas E Harrington, Iii