Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a trench transistor cell array. The trench transistor cell array includes a first trench transistor cell unit and a second trench transistor cell unit. Transistor cells based on the first trench transistor cell unit and transistor cells based on the second trench transistor cell unit are electrically connected in parallel. The first trench transistor cell unit has a first threshold voltage. The second trench transistor cell unit has a second threshold voltage larger than the first threshold voltage. An absolute value of dU/dt at turning on a nominal current of the transistor cell array is at least 50% of an absolute value of dU/dt at turning on 10% of the nominal current of the transistor cell array, dU/dt being the temporal derivate of a voltage U between load terminals of the trench transistor cell array.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes at a first side and electrically isolated from first and second load terminals, first control electrodes for controlling a load current in first semiconductor channel structures formed in an active region at the first side, and at a second side and electrically isolated from the first and second load terminals, second control electrodes for controlling the load current in second semiconductor channel structures formed in the active region at the second side. At the second side and in a contiguous area of modified control (AMC) belonging to the active region and having a lateral extension of at least 30% of a thickness of a semiconductor body of the device, either no second control electrodes are provided or the second control electrodes are less effective in removing free charge carriers out of the power semiconductor device than the second control electrodes outside the AMC.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body coupled to first and second load terminals. The body includes: at least a diode structure configured to conduct a load current between the terminals and including an anode port electrically connected to the first load terminal and a cathode port electrically connected to the second load terminal; and drift and field stop regions of the same conductivity type. The cathode port includes first port sections and second port sections with dopants of the opposite conductivity type. A transition between each of the second port sections and the field stop region forms a respective pn-junction that extends along a first lateral direction. A lateral separation distance between immediately adjacent ones of second port sections in a second group is smaller than in a first group.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a drift region of a first conductivity type in a semiconductor body having a first main surface; a body region of a second conductivity type between the drift region and the first main surface; and trenches extending into the semiconductor body from the first main surface and patterning the semiconductor body into mesas. The trenches include: a first trench having first and second electrodes that face one another along a lateral direction, and a dielectric arranged between the first and second electrodes; a second trench having first and second electrodes that face one another along a lateral direction, and a dielectric arranged between the first and second electrodes; and a third trench having first and second electrodes that face one another along a lateral direction, and a dielectric arranged between the first and second electrodes. Additional semiconductor device embodiments are described herein.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor body coupled to first and second load terminals; an active region with first and second sections, both configured to conduct a load current between the load terminals; electrically isolated from the load terminals, first control electrodes in the first section and second control electrodes in both the first and second sections); and semiconductor channel structures in the semiconductor body extending in both the first and second sections. Each channel structure is associated to at least one of the first and second control electrodes. The respective control electrode is configured to induce an inversion channel for load current conduction in the associated semiconductor channel structure. The first section exhibits a first effective total inversion channel width per unit area ratio, W/A1, and the second section exhibits a second effective inversion channel width per unit area ratio, W/A2, where W/A1>W/A2.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device having a barrier region is provided. A power unit cell of the power semiconductor device has at least two trenches that may both extend into the barrier region. The at least two trenches may both have a respective trench electrode coupled to a control terminal of the power semiconductor device. For example, the trench electrodes are structured to reduce the total gate charge of the power semiconductor device. The barrier region may be p-doped and vertically confined, i.e., in and against the extension direction, by the drift region. The barrier region can be electrically floating.

Abstract: A dual gate IGBT is presented, where the active region includes a first section and a second section. Both sections may be controlled by two control signals. For example, the first section exhibits a first characteristic transfer curve, load current in dependence of the voltage of the first control signal, and the second section exhibits a second characteristic transfer curve, load current in dependence of the voltage of the first control signal. At least the second characteristic transfer curves are changeable based on the voltage of the second control signal. For a given voltage of the first control signal corresponding to a forward-conduction-state of the power semiconductor device, the change of load current in the first section observed for a given change of the voltage of the second control signal is smaller as compared to the corresponding change of the load current in the second section.

Abstract: A semiconductor switching module includes an insulated gate bipolar transistor and a unipolar switching device. The insulated gate bipolar transistor includes a first transistor cell and a supplemental cell, wherein the first transistor cell includes a first gate and a first source and wherein the supplemental cell includes a second gate and a supplemental electrode. The unipolar switching device is based on a wide bandgap material and includes a third gate and a third source. The third gate and the second gate are electrically connected with each other and are disconnected from the first gate. The first source, the supplemental cell and the third source are electrically connected with each other.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device first trench structures extending from a first main surface into a semiconductor body up to a first depth. The first trench structures extend in parallel along a first lateral direction. Each first trench structure includes a first dielectric and a first electrode. The power semiconductor device further includes second trench structures extending from the first main surface into the semiconductor body up to a second depth that is smaller than the first depth. The second trench structures extend in parallel along a second lateral direction and intersect the first trenches at intersection positions. Each second trench structure includes a second dielectric and a second electrode. The second dielectric is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode at the intersection positions.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a drift region of a first conductivity type in a semiconductor body having a first main surface, and a body region of a second conductivity type between the drift region and the first main surface. Trenches extend into the semiconductor body from the first main surface and pattern the semiconductor body into mesas including a first mesa between first and second trenches, and a second mesa between second and third trenches. An electrode in the first trench is one electrode out of an electrode group of an electrode electrically coupled to a first gate driver output, an electrode electrically coupled to a second gate driver output, and an electrode electrically connected to a first load contact. An electrode in the second trench is another electrode out the electrode group, and an electrode in the third trench is a remaining electrode out of the electrode group.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor region having charge carriers of a first conductivity type; a transistor cell in the semiconductor region; a semiconductor channel region in the transistor cell and having a first doping concentration of charge carriers of a second conductivity type, wherein a transition between the semiconductor channel region and the semiconductor region forms a first pn-junction; a semiconductor auxiliary region in the semiconductor region and having a second doping concentration of charge carriers of the second conductivity type. A transition between the semiconductor auxiliary region and semiconductor region forms a second pn-junction positioned deeper in the semiconductor region as compared to the first pn-junction.

Abstract: An power semiconductor device having a barrier region is provided. A power unit cell of the power semiconductor device has at least two trenches that may both extend into the barrier region. The at least two trenches may both have a respective trench electrode coupled to a control terminal of the power semiconductor device. For example, the trench electrodes are structured to reduce the total gate charge of the power semiconductor device. The barrier region may be p-doped and vertically confined, i.e., in and against the extension direction, by the drift region. The barrier region can be electrically floating.

Abstract: A method of forming a laterally varying dopant concentration profile of an electrically activated dopant in a power semiconductor device includes: providing a semiconductor body; implanting a dopant to form a doped region in the semiconductor body; providing, above the doped region, a mask layer having a first section and a second section, the first section having has a first thickness along a vertical direction and the second section having a second thickness along the vertical direction, the second thickness being different from the first thickness; and subjecting the doped region and both mask sections to a laser thermal annealing, LTA, processing step.

Abstract: A power device includes: a diode section; a semiconductor body; a drift region extending into the diode section; trenches in the diode section and extending along a vertical direction into the semiconductor body, two adjacent trenches defining a respective mesa portion in the semiconductor body; a body region in the mesa portions; in the diode section, a barrier region between the body and drift regions and having a dopant concentration at least 100 times greater than an average dopant concentration of the drift region and a dopant dose greater than that of the body region. The barrier region has a lateral structure according to which at least 50% of the body region in the diode section is coupled to the drift region at least by the barrier region, and at least 5% of the body region in the diode section is coupled to the drift region without the barrier region.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes, an active area that conducts load current between first and second load terminal structures, a drift region, and a backside region that includes, inside the active area, first and second backside emitter zones one or both of which includes: first sectors having at least one first region of a second conductivity type contacting the second load terminal structure and a smallest lateral extension of at most 50 ?m; and/or second sectors having a second region of the second conductivity type contacting the second load terminal structure and a smallest lateral extension of at least 50 ?m. The emitter zones differ by at least of: the presence of first and/or second sectors; smallest lateral extension of first and/or second sectors; lateral distance between neighboring first and/or second sectors; smallest lateral extension of the first regions; lateral distance between neighboring first regions within the same first sector.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor region having charge carriers of a first conductivity type; a transistor cell in the semiconductor region; a semiconductor channel region in the transistor cell and having a first doping concentration of charge carriers of a second conductivity type, wherein a transition between the semiconductor channel region and the semiconductor region forms a first pn-junction; a semiconductor auxiliary region in the semiconductor region and having a second doping concentration of charge carriers of the second conductivity type. A transition between the semiconductor auxiliary region and semiconductor region forms a second pn-junction positioned deeper in the semiconductor region as compared to the first pn-junction.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor body; a first load terminal structure coupled to the body front side and a second load terminal structure coupled to the body backside; an active area for conducting a load current between the load terminal structures; a drift region having a first conductivity type; a backside region arranged at the backside and including, inside the active area, first and second backside emitter zones. At least one of the backside emitter zones includes: first sectors each having at least one first region of a second conductivity type, the first region arranged in contact with the second load terminal structure and having a smallest lateral extension of at most 50 ?m; and/or second sectors each having a second region of the second conductivity type arranged in contact with the second load terminal structure and having a smallest lateral extension of at least 50 ?m.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is operable a forward current mode and a reverse current mode and comprises a semiconductor region, and a controllable charge carrier injector, and a gate. A method includes detecting, in the reverse current mode, if the present load current in the reversed direction does not exceed a threshold value, providing a gate signal such that the gate electrode causes the charge carrier injector to induce a first charge carrier density within the semiconductor region so as to conduct a nominal load current in the reverse direction; if the present load current in the reverse direction does exceed the threshold value, operating the semiconductor device in an overload state by providing the gate signal with a voltage that causes the semiconductor region to conduct an overload current in the reverse direction, wherein the second charge carrier density is higher than the first charge carrier density.

Abstract: An RC IGBT with an n-barrier region in a transition section between a diode section and an IGBT section is presented.

Abstract: An RC IGBT includes an active region with an IGBT section and a diode section. In a plurality of control trenches of the RC IGBT, there are a plurality of IGBT control electrodes and, electrically isolated from the IGBT control electrodes, a plurality of plasma control electrodes, each of the IGBT control electrodes and plasma control electrodes being electrically isolated from both load terminals of the RC IGBT. The IGBT section includes both a first subset of the IGBT control electrodes and a first subset of the plasma control electrodes. The diode section includes a second subset of the plasma control electrodes.