The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 10, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 27, 1996
Paul T Moody, Oldham, GB;
U.S. Philips Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A power semiconductor device (e.g. MOSFET or IGBT) has a temperature sensing means in the form of thin-film sensing element (D1) on a first insulating layer (2) on the device body (10). The sensing element is preferably a reverse-biased p-n junction thin-film polycrystalline silicon diode (D1). In order to screen the sensitive element (D1) from electrical noise, an electrically conductive layer (4) is present on a second electrically insulating layer (5) over the thin-film element (D1) and forms part of an electrical screen (3,4) which is present over and under the thin-film element (D1). This electrical screen (3,4) also comprises a semiconductive region (3) underlying the thin-film element (D1), with the overlying conductive layer (4) electrically connected to the semiconductive region (3) at a window (6) in the insulating layers (2,5). One electrical connection of the thin-film element (D1) may be formed by the screening conductive layer (4) extending through a contact window (46) in the second insulating layer (5) and connected to a stable reference potential (e.g. ground). The electrical screen (3,4) can be integrated around the thin-film element (D1) in the same process steps as are already used for power device fabrication, but with modified mask layouts for providing the desired geometry in accordance with the invention. The overlying screening conductive layer (4) may be a main electrode (e.g. source) of the power semiconductor device.