Patents by Inventor Tadaharu Minato

Tadaharu Minato has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6518144
    Abstract: The elements and the trenches are arranged alternately, in repetition, on the main surface of a semiconductor substrate, each of the plurality of elements arranged alternately, in repetition, with the trenches has a configuration (for example, STM) which operates in the same operational mode, and an insulating layer, which is filled into the trenches, and doesn't have a void at a position (the position shallower than the broken line L) shallower than the pn junction to which the largest electric field in the element is applied. Thereby, a semiconductor device and a process for the same, where voids inside of the trenches can be reduced and the film thickness of the insulating film, for filling in the trenches which remain on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, can be made thinner, can be gained through a simple method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Nitta, Tadaharu Minato
  • Publication number: 20030006456
    Abstract: A pin diode is formed by a p+ collector region, an n type buffer region, an n− region and an n+ cathode region. A trench is formed from the surface of n+ cathode region through n+ cathode region to reach n− region. An insulating film is formed along an inner wall surface of trench. A gate electrode layer is formed to oppose to the sidewall of n+ cathode region with insulating film interposed. A cathode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to n+ cathode region. An anode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to p+ collector region. The n+ cathode region is formed entirely over the surface between trenches extending parallel to each other. Thus, a power semiconductor device in which gate control circuit is simplified and which has good on property can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuo Takahashi, Katsumi Nakamura, Tadaharu Minato, Masana Harada
  • Patent number: 6465871
    Abstract: A semiconductor layer, through which a main current flows, is so structured that a carrier life time in the semiconductor layer is ununiform in accordance with a predetermined distribution of the carrier life time. Thus, turn OFF characteristics of a semiconductor switching device can be improved without causing any unacceptable disadvantages for other characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadaharu Minato
  • Patent number: 6445012
    Abstract: A pin diode is formed by a p+ collector region, an n type buffer region, an n− region and an n+ cathode region. A trench is formed from the surface of n+ cathode region through n+ cathode region to reach n− region. An insulating film is formed along an inner wall surface of trench. A gate electrode layer is formed to oppose to the sidewall of n+ cathode region with insulating film interposed. A cathode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to n+ cathode region. An anode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to p+ collector region. The n+ cathode region is formed entirely over the surface between trenches extending parallel to each other. Thus, a power semiconductor device in which gate control circuit is simplified and which has good on property can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Takahashi, Katsumi Nakamura, Tadaharu Minato, Masana Harada
  • Publication number: 20020040994
    Abstract: The elements and the trenches are arranged alternately, in repetition, on the main surface of a semiconductor substrate, each of the plurality of elements arranged alternately, in repetition, with the trenches has a configuration (for example, STAW which operates in the same operational mode, and an insulating layer, which is filled into the trenches, and doesn't have a void at a position (the position shallower than the broken line L) shallower than the pn junction to which the largest electric field in the element is applied. Thereby, a semiconductor device and a process for the same, where voids inside of the trenches can be reduced and the film thickness of the insulating film, for filng in the trenches which remain on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, can be made thinner, can be gained through a simple method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Publication date: April 11, 2002
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Nitta, Tadaharu Minato
  • Patent number: 6331466
    Abstract: An insulated gate semiconductor device in which the ON voltage is decreased by providing strip like trenches (207) having gate electrodes (210) buried therein are formed in an upper main surface of a semiconductor base body (200), and an N+ emitter layer (206) is exposed in a ladder-like form in the upper main surface of the semiconductor base body interposed between adjacent trenches (207). Accordingly, even if the position of a zonal region (Ra) which is a contact surface with an emitter electrode (212) is shifted, the emitter electrode (212) is surely in contact with the N+ emitter layer (206). Furthermore, the ladder-like N+ emitter layer (206) is formed adjacent to the trench (207), so that a channel region (208) is formed without discontinuation along the trench (207). Accordingly, it has the effect of facilitating miniaturization of elements and of effectively making use of the miniaturization to decrease the ON voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Takahashi, Hidenori Nishihara, Masana Harada, Tadaharu Minato
  • Publication number: 20010045566
    Abstract: A pin diode is formed by a p+ collector region, an n type buffer region, an n− region and an n+ cathode region. A trench is formed from the surface of n+ cathode region through n+ cathode region to reach n− region. An insulating film is formed along an inner wall surface of trench. A gate electrode layer is formed to oppose to the sidewall of n+ cathode region with insulating film interposed. A cathode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to n+ cathode region. An anode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to p+ collector region. The n+ cathode region is formed entirely over the surface between trenches extending parallel to each other. Thus, a power semiconductor device in which gate control circuit is simplified and which has good on property can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Takahashi, Katsumi Nakamura, Tadaharu Minato, Masana Harada
  • Patent number: 6323508
    Abstract: An insulated gate semiconductor device in which the ON voltage is decreased by providing strip like trenches (207) having gate electrodes (210) buried therein are formed in an upper main surface of a semiconductor base body (200), and an N+ emitter layer (206) is exposed in a ladder-like form in the upper main surface of the semiconductor base body interposed between adjacent trenches (207). Accordingly, even if the position of a zonal region (Ra) which is a contact surface with an emitter electrode (212) is shifted, the emitter electrode (212) is surely in contact with the N+ emitter layer (206). Furthermore, the ladder-like N+ emitter layer (206) is formed adjacent to the trench (7), so that a channel region (208) is formed without discontinuation along the trench (207). Accordingly, it has the effect of facilitating miniaturization of elements and of effectively making use of the miniaturization to decrease the ON voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Takahashi, Hidenori Nishihara, Masana Harada, Tadaharu Minato
  • Patent number: 6307246
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate has a first main surface with a plurality of trenches 5a sandwiching a region in which p and n diffusions regions 2 and 3 are formed to provide a p-n junction along the depth of the trenches. P diffusion region 2 has a doping concentration profile provided by a p dopant diffused from a sidewall surface of one trench 5a, and n diffusion region 3 has a doping concentration profile provided by an n dopant diffused from a sidewall surface of the other trench 5a. A heavily doped n+ substrate region 1 is provided at a second main surface side of p and n diffusion regions 2 and 3. A depth Ld of trench 5a from the first main surface is greater than a depth Nd of p and n diffusion regions 2, 3 from the first main surface by at least a diffusion length L of the p dopant in p diffusion region 2 or the n dopant in n diffusion region 3 in manufacturing the semiconductor device. A high withstand voltage and low ON-resistance semiconductor device can thus be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Nitta, Tadaharu Minato, Akio Uenisi
  • Publication number: 20010030331
    Abstract: A semiconductor layer, through which a main current flows, is so structured that a carrier life time in the semiconductor layer is ununiform in accordance with a predetermined distribution of the carrier life time. Thus, turn OFF characteristics of a semiconductor switching device can be improved without causing any unacceptable disadvantages for other characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tadaharu Minato
  • Patent number: 6265735
    Abstract: A pin diode is formed by a p+ collector region, an n type buffer region, an n− region and an n+ cathode region. A trench is formed from the surface of n+ cathode region through n+ cathode region to reach n− region. An insulating film is formed along an inner wall surface of trench. A gate electrode layer is formed to oppose to the sidewall of n+ cathode region with insulating film interposed. A cathode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to n+ cathode region. An anode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to p+ collector region. The n+ cathode region is formed entirely over the surface between trenches extending parallel to each other. Thus, a power semiconductor device in which gate control circuit is simplified and which has good on property can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Takahashi, Katsumi Nakamura, Tadaharu Minato, Masana Harada
  • Publication number: 20010006836
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method of fabricating a semiconductor device which includes the steps of forming a trench (4), and repeating the formation and removal of an oxide film (a sacrificial oxide film) twice to provide a rounded configuration (5b) of an opening portion of the trench (4) and a rounded configuration (6b) of a bottom thereof and to draw defects in a semiconductor layer into a silicon oxide film (8), reducing the defects adjacent the inner wall of the trench (4), whereby electric field concentration on a gate is prevented and the mobility of carriers in channels is improved for an improvement in characteristic, particularly an on-state voltage, of a power device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Publication date: July 5, 2001
    Inventors: Katsumi Nakamura, Tadaharu Minato, Shuuichi Tominaga, Katsuomi Shiozawa
  • Patent number: 6252259
    Abstract: A semiconductor layer, through which a main current flows, is so structured that a carrier life time in the semiconductor layer is uniform in accordance with a predetermined distribution of the carrier life time. Thus, turn OFF characteristics of a semiconductor switching device can be improved without causing any unacceptable disadvantages for other characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadaharu Minato
  • Patent number: 6225649
    Abstract: An insulated-gate bipolar semiconductor device is provided wherein electric resistance generated in an emitter impurity region and between an emitter electrode and a region in the close vicinity of a gate takes a prescribe value irrespective of the distance of the emitter impurity region in direct contact with the emitter electrode in order to increase a load short circuit safe operation region without degrading the forward voltage drop and switching characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadaharu Minato
  • Patent number: 6107650
    Abstract: An insulated gate semiconductor device in which the ON voltage is decreased by providing strip like trenches (207) having gate electrodes (210) buried therein are formed in an upper main surface of a semiconductor base body (200), and an N.sup.+ emitter layer (206) is exposed in a ladder-like form in the upper main surface of the semiconductor base body interposed between adjacent trenches (207). Accordingly, even if the position of a zonal region (Ra) which is a contact surface with an emitter electrode (212) is shifted, the emitter electrode (212) is surely in contact with the N.sup.+ emitter layer (206). Furthermore, the ladder-like N.sup.+ emitter layer (206) is formed adjacent to the trench (207), so that a channel region (208) is formed without discontinuation along the trench (207). Accordingly, it has the effect of facilitating miniaturization of elements and of effectively making use of the miniaturization to decrease the ON voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Takahashi, Hidenori Nishihara, Masana Harada, Tadaharu Minato
  • Patent number: 6103578
    Abstract: An n type diffusion region and a p type diffusion region are formed in a region sandwiched between trenches arranged at a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate. A p type well is formed in the n- and p-type diffusion regions nearer the first main surface. A source n.sup.+ diffusion region is formed at the first main surface within the p type well. A gate electrode layer is formed opposite to the p type well sandwiched between the n type diffusion region and the source n.sup.+ diffusion region with a gate insulating layer disposed therebetween. The n- and p-type diffusion regions each have an impurity concentration distribution diffused from a sidewall surface of a trench. Thus, a fine, micron-order pn repeat structure can be achieved with sufficient precision and a high breakdown voltage semiconductor device is thus obtained which has superior on-state voltage and breakdown voltage as well as fast switching characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Uenishi, Tadaharu Minato
  • Patent number: 6100575
    Abstract: A semiconductor layer, through which a main current flows, is so structured that a carrier life time in the semiconductor layer is ununiform in accordance with a predetrmined distribution of the carrier life time. Thus, turn OFF characteristics of a semiconductor switching device can be improved without causing any unacceptable disadvantages for other characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadaharu Minato
  • Patent number: 6040600
    Abstract: An n type diffusion region and a p type diffusion region are formed in a region sandwiched between trenches arranged at a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate. A p type well is formed in the n- and p-type diffusion regions nearer the first main surface. A source n.sup.+ diffusion region is formed at the first main surface within the p type well. A gate electrode layer is formed opposite to the p type well sandwiched between the n type diffusion region and the source n.sup.+ diffusion region with a gate insulating layer disposed therebetween. The n- and p-type diffusion regions each have an impurity concentration distribution diffused from a sidewall surface of a trench. Thus, a fine, micron-order pn repeat structure can be achieved with sufficient precision and a high breakdown voltage semiconductor device is thus obtained which has superior on-state voltage and breakdown voltage as well as fast switching characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Uenishi, Tadaharu Minato
  • Patent number: 5977570
    Abstract: A pin diode is formed by a p.sup.+ collector region, an n type buffer region, an n.sup.- region and an n.sup.+ cathode region. A trench is formed from the surface of n.sup.+ cathode region through n.sup.+ cathode region to reach n.sup.- region. An insulating film is formed along an inner wall surface of trench. A gate electrode layer is formed to oppose to the sidewall of n.sup.+ cathode region with insulating film interposed. A cathode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to n.sup.+ cathode region. An anode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to p.sup.+ collector region. The n.sup.+ cathode region is formed entirely over the surface between trenches extending parallel to each other. Thus, a power semiconductor device in which gate control circuit is simplified and which has good on property can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Takahashi, Katsumi Nakamura, Tadaharu Minato, Masana Harada
  • Patent number: 5925899
    Abstract: A first metal electrode layer is formed to be electrically connected with a p base region formed in an n drift region. A second metal electrode layer which is electrically connected with an emitter region provided in the p base region is formed. A direct current power supply unit is provided to be electrically connected with the first and second metal electrode layers. The direct current power supply unit functions as means for applying forward bias to a pn junction between the n emitter region and the p base region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Nakamura, Tadaharu Minato