Abstract: A super junction (SJ) device may include one or more charge balance (CB) layers. Each CB layer may include an epitaxial (epi) layer having a first conductivity type and a plurality of charge balance (CB) regions having a second conductivity type. Additionally, the SJ device may include a connection region having the second conductivity type that extends from a region disposed in a top surface of a device layer of the SJ device to one or more of the CB regions. The connection region may enable carriers to flow directly from the region to the one or more CB regions, which may decrease switching losses of the SJ device.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a drift layer disposed on a substrate. The drift layer has a non-planar surface having a plurality of repeating features oriented parallel to a length of a channel of the semiconductor device. Further, each the repeating features have a dopant concentration higher than a remainder of the drift layer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a silicon-carbide (SiC) device includes receiving a selection of a specific terrestrial cosmic ray (TCR) rating at a specific applied voltage, determining a breakdown voltage for the SiC device based at least on the specific TCR rating at the specific applied voltage, determining drift layer design parameters based at least on the breakdown voltage. The drift layer design parameters include doping concentration and thickness of the drift layer. The method also includes fabricating the SiC device having a drift layer with the determined drift layer design parameters. The SiC device has the specific TCR rating at the specific applied voltage.

Abstract: Embodiments of a silicon carbide (SiC) device are provided herein. In some embodiments, a silicon carbide (SiC) device may include a gate electrode disposed above a SiC semiconductor layer, wherein the SiC semiconductor layer comprises: a drift region having a first conductivity type; a well region disposed adjacent to the drift region, wherein the well region has a second conductivity type; and a source region having the first conductivity type disposed adjacent to the well region, wherein the source region comprises a source contact region and a pinch region, wherein the pinch region is disposed only partially below the gate electrode, wherein a sheet doping density in the pinch region is less than 2.5×1014 cm?2, and wherein the pinch region is configured to deplete at a current density greater than a nominal current density of the SiC device to increase the resistance of the source region.

Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to silicon carbide (SiC) power devices and, more specifically, to active area designs for SiC super-junction (SJ) power devices. A SiC-SJ device includes an active area having one or more charge balance (CB) layers. Each CB layer includes a semiconductor layer having a first conductivity-type and a plurality of floating regions having a second conductivity-type disposed in a surface of the semiconductor layer. The plurality of floating regions and the semiconductor layer are both configured to substantially deplete to provide substantially equal amounts of charge from ionized dopants when a reverse bias is applied to the SiC-SJ device.

Abstract: An insulated gate field-effect transistor (IGFET) device includes a semiconductor body (200) and a gate oxide (234). The semiconductor body includes a first well region (216) doped with a first type of dopant and a second well region (220) that is doped with an opposite, second type of dopant and is located within the first well region. The gate oxide includes a relatively thinner outer section (244) and a relatively thicker interior section (246). The outer section is disposed over the first well region and the second well region. The interior section is disposed over a junction gate field effect transistor region (218) of the semiconductor body doped with the second type of dopant. A conductive channel is formed through the second well region when a gate signal is applied to a gate contact (250) disposed on the gate oxide.

Abstract: A semiconductor device may include a drift region having a first conductivity type, a source region having the first conductivity type, and a well region having a second conductivity type disposed adjacent to the drift region and adjacent to the source region. The well region may include a channel region that has the second conductivity type disposed adjacent to the source region and proximal to a surface of the semiconductor device cell. The channel region may include a non-uniform edge that includes at least one protrusion.

Abstract: A charge-balanced (CB) diode may include one or more CB layers. Each CB layer may include an epitaxial layer having a first conductivity type and a plurality of buried regions having a second conductivity type. Additionally, the CB diode may include an upper epitaxial layer having the first conductivity type that is disposed adjacent to an uppermost CB layer of the one or more CB layers. The upper epitaxial layer may also include a plurality of junction barrier (JBS) implanted regions having the second conductivity type. Further, the CB diode may include a Schottky contact disposed adjacent to the upper epitaxial layer and the plurality of JBS implanted regions.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes an avalanche photodiode unit and a thyristor unit. The avalanche photodiode unit is configured to receive incident light to generate a trigger current and comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor. The thyristor unit is configured to be activated by the trigger current to an electrically conductive state. A semiconductor device and a method for making a semiconductor device are also presented.

Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to silicon carbide (SiC) power devices and, more specifically, to active area designs for SiC super-junction (SJ) power devices. A SiC-SJ device includes an active area having one or more charge balance (CB) layers. Each CB layer includes a semiconductor layer having a first conductivity-type and a plurality of floating regions having a second conductivity-type disposed in a surface of the semiconductor layer. The plurality of floating regions and the semiconductor layer are both configured to substantially deplete to provide substantially equal amounts of charge from ionized dopants when a reverse bias is applied to the SiC-SJ device.

Abstract: A semiconductor device may include a substrate comprising silicon carbide; a drift layer disposed over the substrate doped with a first dopant type; an anode region disposed adjacent to the drift layer, wherein the anode region is doped with a second dopant type; and a junction termination extension disposed adjacent to the anode region and extending around the anode region, wherein the junction termination extension has a width and comprises a plurality of discrete regions separated in a first direction and in a second direction and doped with varying concentrations with the second dopant type, so as to have an effective doping profile of the second conductivity type of a functional form that generally decreases along a direction away from an edge of the primary blocking junction.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate including silicon carbide; a drift layer disposed over the substrate including a drift region doped with a first dopant and conductivity type; and a second region, doped with a second dopant and conductivity type, adjacent to the drift region and proximal to a surface of the drift layer. The semiconductor device further includes a junction termination extension adjacent to the second region with a width and discrete regions separated in a first and second direction doped with varying concentrations of the second dopant type, and an effective doping profile of the second conductivity type of functional form that generally decreases away from the edge of the primary blocking junction. The width is less than or equal to a multiple of five times the width of the one-dimensional depletion width, and the charge tolerance of the semiconductor device is greater than 1.0×1013 per cm2.

Abstract: A semiconductor device may include a drift region having a first conductivity type, a source region having the first conductivity type, and a well region having a second conductivity type disposed adjacent to the drift region and adjacent to the source region. The well region may include a channel region that has the second conductivity type disposed adjacent to the source region and proximal to a surface of the semiconductor device cell. The channel region may include a non-uniform edge that includes at least one protrusion.

Abstract: A transient voltage suppression (TVS) device and a method of forming the device are provided. The TVS device includes a first layer of wide band-gap semiconductor material formed of a first conductivity type material, a second layer of wide band-gap semiconductor material formed of a second conductivity type material over at least a portion of the first layer, the second layer including a first concentration of dopant. The TVS device further including a third layer of wide band-gap semiconductor material formed of the second conductivity type material over at least a portion of the second layer, the third layer including a second concentration of dopant, the second concentration of dopant being different than the first concentration of dopant. The TVS device further including a fourth layer of wide band-gap semiconductor material formed of the first conductivity type material over at least a portion of the third layer.

Abstract: An insulated gate field-effect transistor (IGFET) device includes a semiconductor body (200) and a gate oxide (234). The semiconductor body includes a first well region (216) doped with a first type of dopant and a second well region (220) that is doped with an opposite, second type of dopant and is located within the first well region. The gate oxide includes a relatively thinner outer section (244) and a relatively thicker interior section (246). The outer section is disposed over the first well region and the second well region. The interior section is disposed over a junction gate field effect transistor region (218) of the semiconductor body doped with the second type of dopant. A conductive channel is formed through the second well region when a gate signal is applied to a gate contact (250) disposed on the gate oxide.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device cell at a surface of a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor layer includes forming a segmented source and body contact (SSBC) of the semiconductor device cell over the surface of the SiC semiconductor layer. The SSBC includes a body contact portion disposed over the surface of the semiconductor layer and proximate to a body contact region of the semiconductor device cell, wherein the body contact portion is substantially disposed over the center of the semiconductor device cell. The SSBC also includes at least one source contact portion disposed over the surface of the semiconductor layer and proximate to a source contact region of the semiconductor device cell, wherein the at least one source contact portion only partially surrounds the body contact portion of the SSBC.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device cell at a surface of a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor layer includes forming a segmented source and body contact (SSBC) of the semiconductor device cell over the surface of the SiC semiconductor layer. The SSBC includes a body contact portion disposed over the surface of the semiconductor layer and proximate to a body contact region of the semiconductor device cell, wherein the body contact portion is not disposed over the center of the semiconductor device cell. The SSBC also includes a source contact portion disposed over the surface of the semiconductor layer and proximate to a source contact region of the semiconductor device cell, wherein the at least one source contact portion only partially surrounds the body contact portion of the SSBC.

Abstract: A transient voltage suppression (TVS) device and a method of forming the device are provided. The transient voltage suppression (TVS) device includes a first layer of wide band gap semiconductor material formed of a first conductivity type material, a second layer of wide band gap semiconductor material formed of a second conductivity type material over at least a portion of the first layer, and a third layer of wide band gap semiconductor material formed of the first conductivity type material over at least a portion of the second layer. The TVS device also includes a conductive path electrically coupled between the second layer and an electrical connection to a circuit external to the TVS device, the conductive path configured to permit controlling a turning on of the TVS device at less than a breakdown voltage of the TVS device.

Abstract: An insulating gate field effect transistor (IGFET) device includes a semiconductor body and a gate oxide. The semiconductor body includes a first well region doped with a first type of dopant and a second well region that is doped with an oppositely charged second type of dopant and is located within the first well region. The gate oxide includes an outer section and an interior section having different thickness dimensions. The outer section is disposed over the first well region and the second well region of the semiconductor body. The interior section is disposed over a junction gate field effect transistor region of the semiconductor body. The semiconductor body is configured to form a conductive channel through the second well region and the junction gate field effect transistor region when a gate signal is applied to a gate contact disposed on the gate oxide.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is presented. The device includes a semiconductor layer including silicon carbide, and having a first surface and a second surface. A gate insulating layer is disposed on a portion of the first surface of the semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode is disposed on the gate insulating layer. The device further includes an oxide disposed between the gate insulating layer and the gate electrode at a corner adjacent an edge of the gate electrode so as the gate insulating layer has a greater thickness at the corner than a thickness at a center of the layer. A method for fabricating the device is also provided.