Abstract: In an example, a semiconductor device includes an active trench region and an intersecting trench. The active region includes an active shield electrode and the intersecting trench includes an intersecting shield electrode. A coupling trench region connects the active trench region to the intersecting trench region. The coupling trench region includes a coupling shield electrode. The coupling shield electrode and the intersecting shield electrode are provided proximate to a termination mesa region. One or more of the coupling shield electrode or the intersecting shield electrode is thinner than the active shield electrode. The thinner shield electrode reduces depletion in the termination mesa region to improve, among other things, breakdown voltage performance.

Abstract: A MOSFET device die includes an active area formed on a semiconductor substrate. The active area includes a first active area portion and a second active area portion. At least one mesa is formed in the semiconductor substrate extending in a longitudinal direction through the active area. The at least one mesa includes a channel region extending in a longitudinal direction. The channel region includes low threshold voltage channel portions and high threshold voltage channel portions. The first active area portion includes the channel portions in a first ratio of low threshold voltage channel portions to high threshold voltage channel portions, and the second active area portion includes channel portions in a second ratio of low threshold voltage channel portions to high threshold voltage channel portions. The first ratio is larger than the second ratio.

Abstract: An accumulation MOSFET includes a plurality of device cells. Each device cell includes a mesa adjoining a vertical trench is disposed in a doped semiconductor substrate. The mesa has a top mesa portion disposed on a bottom mesa portion. The top mesa portion has a width that is narrower than a width of the bottom mesa portion. The vertical trench adjoining the mesa has a top trench portion and a bottom trench portion. The top trench portion has a width that is wider than a width of the bottom trench portion. A dielectric is disposed on a sidewall of the vertical trench. A gate electrode disposed in the top trench portion forms an accumulation channel region in the top mesa portion and a shield electrode disposed in the bottom trench portion forms a depletion drift region in the bottom mesa portion.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor device is formed having a plurality of active trenches formed within an active region of the semiconductor device. A first insulator is formed along at least a portion of sidewalls of each active trench. A perimeter termination trench is formed that surrounds the active region. The perimeter termination trench is formed having a first sidewall that is adjacent the active region and a second sidewall that is opposite the first sidewall. An insulator is formed along the second sidewall that has a thickness is greater than an insulator that is formed along the first sidewall.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a vertical transistor can include a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, and a plurality of perpendicularly intersecting trenches having a shielded gate structure of the vertical transistor disposed therein. A mesa of the semiconductor region can be defined by the plurality of perpendicularly intersecting trenches. The mesa can include a proximal end portion having a first doping concentration of the first conductivity type, a distal end portion having the first doping concentration of the first conductivity type, and a central portion disposed between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion. The central portion can have a second doping concentration of the first conductivity type that is less than the first doping concentration.

Abstract: A method includes forming an ion-implanted capping layer in a first epitaxial layer disposed on a silicon substrate. The ion-implanted capping layer is doped with a second dopant of a same conductivity type as a first dopant in the silicon substrate. The second dopant has a lower diffusivity than the diffusivity of the first dopant. The ion-implanted capping layer has a thickness configured to contain up-diffusion of the first dopant from the silicon wafer in the first epitaxial layer in thermal processes for fabricating a vertical MOSFET device in the substrate. The ion-implanted capping layer is configured to limit up-diffusion of the first dopant from the silicon wafer through the ion-implanted capping layer into a second epitaxial layer such that a concentration of the first dopant in the second epitaxial layer is lower than a concentration of the first dopant in the first epitaxial layer.

Abstract: A circuit and physical structure can help to counteract non-linear COSS associated with power transistors that operate at higher switching speeds and lower RDSON. In an embodiment, a component with a pn junction can be coupled to an n-channel IGFET. The component can include a p-channel IGFET, a pnp bipolar transistor, or both. A gate/capacitor electrode can be within a trench that is adjacent to the active regions of the component and n-channel IGFET, where the active regions can be within a semiconductor pillar. The combination of a conductive member and the semiconductor pillar of the component can be a charge storage component. The physical structure may include a compensation region, a barrier doped region, or both. In a particular embodiment, doped surface regions can be coupled to a buried conductive region without the use of a topside interconnect or a deep collector type of structure.

Abstract: A MOSFET device die includes an active area formed on a semiconductor substrate. The active area includes a first active area portion and a second active area portion. At least one mesa is formed in the semiconductor substrate extending in a longitudinal direction through the active area. The at least one mesa includes a channel region extending in a longitudinal direction. The channel region includes low threshold voltage channel portions and high threshold voltage channel portions. The first active area portion includes the channel portions in a first ratio of low threshold voltage channel portions to high threshold voltage channel portions, and the second active area portion includes channel portions in a second ratio of low threshold voltage channel portions to high threshold voltage channel portions. The first ratio is larger than the second ratio.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a transistor can include a trench disposed in a semiconductor region and a gate electrode disposed in an upper portion of the trench. The gate electrode can include a first and second gate electrode segments. The transistor can also include a shield electrode having a first shield electrode portion disposed in a lower portion of the trench, and a second shield electrode portion orthogonally extending from the first shield electrode portion in the lower portion of the trench to the upper portion of the trench. The first shield electrode portion can be disposed below the first and second gate electrode segments, and the second shield electrode portion can being disposed between the first and second gate electrode segments. The transistor can also include a patterned buried conductor layer. The first and second gate electrode segments can be electrically coupled via the patterned buried conductor layer.

Abstract: A substrate for fabricating a MOSFET device includes a first epitaxial layer disposed on a silicon wafer. The silicon wafer is doped with a first dopant. A second epitaxial layer is disposed on the first epitaxial layer. An ion-implanted capping layer is disposed in the first epitaxial layer. The ion-implanted capping layer is doped with a second dopant. The first dopant has a diffusion coefficient in silicon higher than a diffusion coefficient of the second dopant in silicon. The ion-implanted capping layer is configured to limit up-diffusion of the first dopant from the silicon wafer into the second epitaxial layer.

Abstract: A method includes defining a plurality of trenches of a first type that extend in a longitudinal direction in a semiconductor substrate, and defining a trench of a second type extending in a lateral direction and intersecting the plurality of trenches of the first type. The trench of the second type is in fluid communication with each of the intersected plurality of trenches of the first type. The method further includes disposing a shield poly layer in the plurality of trenches of the first type and the trench of the second type, disposing an inter-poly dielectric layer and a gate poly layer above the shield poly layer in the plurality of trenches of the first type and the trench of the second type, and forming an electrical contact to the shield poly layer through an opening in the inter-poly dielectric layer and the gate poly layer disposed in the trench of the second type.

Abstract: An electronic device can include doped regions and a trench disposed between the doped regions, wherein the trench can include a conductive member. In an embodiment, a parasitic transistor can include doped regions as drain/source regions and the conductive member as a gate electrode. A semiconductor material can lie along a bottom or sidewall of the trench and be a channel region of the parasitic transistor. The voltage on the gate electrode or the dopant concentration can be selected so that the channel region does not reach inversion during the normal operation of the electronic device.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a transistor can include a trench disposed in a semiconductor region and a gate electrode disposed in an upper portion of the trench. The gate electrode can include a first and second gate electrode segments. The transistor can also include a shield electrode having a first shield electrode portion disposed in a lower portion of the trench, and a second shield electrode portion orthogonally extending from the first shield electrode portion in the lower portion of the trench to the upper portion of the trench. The first shield electrode portion can be disposed below the first and second gate electrode segments, and the second shield electrode portion can being disposed between the first and second gate electrode segments. The transistor can also include a patterned buried conductor layer. The first and second gate electrode segments can be electrically coupled via the patterned buried conductor layer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor device is formed having a plurality of active trenches formed within an active region of the semiconductor device. A first insulator is formed along at least a portion of sidewalls of each active trench. A perimeter termination trench is formed that surrounds the active region. The perimeter termination trench is formed having a first sidewall that is adjacent the active region and a second sidewall that is opposite the first sidewall. An insulator is formed along the second sidewall that has a thickness is greater than an insulator that is formed along the first sidewall.

Abstract: An electronic device can include doped regions and a trench disposed between the doped regions, wherein the trench can include a conductive member. In an embodiment, a parasitic transistor can include doped regions as drain/source regions and the conductive member as a gate electrode. A semiconductor material can lie along a bottom or sidewall of the trench and be a channel region of the parasitic transistor. The voltage on the gate electrode or the dopant concentration can be selected so that the channel region does not reach inversion during the normal operation of the electronic device.

Abstract: A circuit and physical structure can help to counteract non-linear COSS associated with power transistors that operate at higher switching speeds and lower RDSON. In an embodiment, a component with a pn junction can be coupled to an n-channel IGFET. The component can include a p-channel IGFET, a pnp bipolar transistor, or both. A gate/capacitor electrode can be within a trench that is adjacent to the active regions of the component and n-channel IGFET, where the active regions can be within a semiconductor pillar. The combination of a conductive member and the semiconductor pillar of the component can be a charge storage component. The physical structure may include a compensation region, a barrier doped region, or both. In a particular embodiment, doped surface regions can be coupled to a buried conductive region without the use of a topside interconnect or a deep collector type of structure.

Abstract: Systems and methods of the disclosed embodiments include an electronic device that has a gate electrode for supplying a gate voltage, a source, a drain, and a channel doped to enable a current to flow from the drain to the source when a voltage is applied to the gate electrode. The electronic device may also include a gate insulator between the channel and the gate electrode. The gate insulator may include a first gate insulator section including a first thickness, and a second gate insulator section including a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. The gate insulator sections thereby improve the safe operating area by enabling the current to flow through the second gate insulator section at a lower voltage than the first gate insulator section.

Abstract: A substrate for fabricating a MOSFET device includes a first epitaxial layer disposed on a silicon wafer. The silicon wafer is doped with a first dopant. A second epitaxial layer is disposed on the first epitaxial layer. An ion-implanted capping layer is disposed in the first epitaxial layer. The ion-implanted capping layer is doped with a second dopant. The first dopant has a diffusion coefficient in silicon higher than a diffusion coefficient of the second dopant in silicon. The ion-implanted capping layer is configured to limit up-diffusion of the first dopant from the silicon wafer into the second epitaxial layer.

Abstract: A device has an active area made of an array of first type of device cells and a gate or shield contact area made of an array of a second type of device cells that are laid out at a wider pitch than the array of first type of device cells. Each first type of device cell in the active area includes a trench that contains a gate electrode and an adjoining mesa that contains the drain, source, body, and channel regions of the device. Each second type of device cell in the gate or shield contact area includes a trench that is wider and deeper than the trench in the first type device cell.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor device is formed having a plurality of active trenches formed within an active region of the semiconductor device. A first insulator is formed along at least a portion of sidewalls of each active trench. A perimeter termination trench is formed that surrounds the active region. The perimeter termination trench is formed having a first sidewall that is adjacent the active region and a second sidewall that is opposite the first sidewall. An insulator is formed along the second sidewall that has a thickness is greater than an insulator that is formed along the first sidewall.