Abstract: A semiconductor transistor device includes: a gate trench in a SiC semiconductor body; a channel region at a first side wall of the trench; and a diode region at a second side wall of the trench, the side walls lying opposite to each other in a transverse direction. As seen in a vertical cross-section perpendicular to the side walls, a first surface normal n1, perpendicular to the first side wall and pointing towards the channel region, is rotated between 174° to 178° in relation to a 4H-SiC Crystal a-direction, and a second surface normal n2, perpendicular to the second side wall and pointing towards the diode region, is rotated between ?2° to ?6° in relation to the 4H-SiC Crystal a-direction, or n1 is rotated between 178° to 182° in relation to a 4H-SiC Crystal m-direction and n2 is rotated between ?2° to 2° in relation to the 4H-SiC Crystal m-direction.

Abstract: A method includes applying a voltage with a predefined voltage level between a first load path node and a second load path node of a transistor device; measuring a voltage between a control node and the second load path node to obtain a voltage measurement value; and determining at least one of an electric charge stored in a first internal capacitance or a capacitance value of the internal capacitance effective between the first load path node and the control node based on the first voltage measurement value and based on a capacitance value of a second internal capacitance effective between the control node and the second load path node.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a SiC semiconductor body having a mesa between trench gate structures, with a one-sided channel region adjoining a first mesa sidewall of opposite first and second mesa sidewalls. A first conductivity type region adjoins the first mesa sidewall and a top surface of the mesa. A second conductivity type region adjoins the second mesa sidewall and the top surface, with a pn junction separating the first and second regions at the top surface. A width of the first region at the top surface alternates, along a longitudinal direction of the mesa, between first and second width ranges. The first width range is larger than 10% and smaller than 50% of the mesa width at the top surface. The second width range is larger than or equal to 50% and smaller than 90% of the mesa width at the top surface.

Abstract: Herein, a method of forming a semiconductor device may comprise forming a semiconductor substrate comprising silicon carbide at a surface thereof, cleaning a surface area of the semiconductor substrate by removing oxide species, carbon clusters, or other contaminants, and forming a dielectric layer above the cleaned surface of the semiconductor substrate. The method further provides a surface passivation at the interface of the cleaned surface of the semiconductor substrate and the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a wide band gap semiconductor device is provided. The method includes forming a gate insulation layer on a wide band gap semiconductor substrate and annealing the gate insulation layer using at least a first reactive gas species and a second reactive gas species, wherein the first reactive gas species differs from the second reactive gas species. The method can include forming a gate electrode on the gate insulation layer after annealing the gate insulation layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a wide band gap semiconductor device is proposed. The method includes forming a trench extending into a wide band gap semiconductor body from a first surface of the wide band gap semiconductor body. The method further includes forming a shielding region including introducing dopants of a first conductivity type into the wide band gap semiconductor body through at least one of a bottom side or a sidewall of the trench by ion implantation. Thereafter, the method further includes expanding the trench including an expansion process of forming a sacrificial oxide lining sidewalls and a bottom side of the trench by thermal oxidation and removing the sacrificial oxide.

Abstract: A method for forming a wide band gap semiconductor device is provided. The method includes forming a gate insulation layer on a wide band gap semiconductor substrate and annealing the gate insulation layer using at least a first reactive gas species and a second reactive gas species, wherein the first reactive gas species differs from the second reactive gas species. The method can include forming a gate electrode on the gate insulation layer after annealing the gate insulation layer.

Abstract: A vertical power semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor body having opposite first and second surfaces. The SiC semiconductor body includes a transistor cell area including gate structures, a gate pad area, and an interconnection area electrically coupling a gate electrode of the gate structures and a gate pad of the gate pad area via a gate interconnection. The vertical power semiconductor device further includes a sensor electrode and a first interlayer dielectric having a first interface to the sensor electrode and a second interface to at least one of the gate electrode or the gate interconnection. A conduction band offset at the first interface ranges from 1 eV to 2.5 eV. The vertical power semiconductor device further includes a second interface to at least one of the gate electrode or the gate interconnection. The second interlayer dielectric laterally adjoins to the first interlayer dielectric.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device is proposed. The vertical power semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The SiC semiconductor body includes a transistor cell area comprising gate structures, a gate pad area, and an interconnection area electrically coupling a gate electrode of the gate structures and a gate pad of the gate pad area via a gate interconnection. The vertical power semiconductor device further includes a source or emitter electrode. The vertical power semiconductor device further includes a first interlayer dielectric comprising a first interface to the source or emitter electrode and a second interface to at least one of the gate electrode, or the gate interconnection, or the gate pad, and wherein a conduction band offset at the first interface ranges from 1 eV to 2.5 eV.

Abstract: A transistor device is disclosed. The transistor device includes a semiconductor body and plurality of transistor cells. Each transistor cell includes: a drift region and a source region of a first doping type; a body region of a second doping type complementary to the first doping type; a field shaping region of the second doping type connected to a source node; and a gate electrode connected to a gate node. The gate electrode is arranged in a trench extending from a first surface into the semiconductor body. The gate electrode is dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric. At least portions of the gate electrode are dielectrically insulated from the drift region by a field dielectric. The field shaping region adjoins the trench. The field dielectric comprises a high-k dielectric.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device is proposed. The power semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The SiC semiconductor body includes a transistor cell area comprising transistor cells. Each of the transistor cells includes a gate structure including a gate dielectric structure and a gate electrode structure on the gate dielectric structure. The gate dielectric structure includes a first gate dielectric layer adjoining to the SiC semiconductor body. The gate dielectric structure further includes a second gate dielectric layer. The gate dielectric structure further includes charge storage layer arranged between the first gate dielectric layer and the second gate dielectric layer.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device is proposed. The vertical power semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The SiC semiconductor body includes a transistor cell area comprising gate structures, a gate pad area, and an interconnection area electrically coupling a gate electrode of the gate structures and a gate pad of the gate pad area via a gate interconnection. The vertical power semiconductor device further includes a source or emitter electrode. The vertical power semiconductor device further includes a first interlayer dielectric comprising a first interface to the source or emitter electrode and a second interface to at least one of the gate electrode, or the gate interconnection, or the gate pad, and wherein a conduction band offset at the first interface ranges from 1 eV to 2.5 eV.

Abstract: A wide band gap semiconductor device is proposed. The wide band gap semiconductor device includes a wide band gap semiconductor body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface along a vertical direction. A gate electrode structure is arranged in an active transistor area. The gate electrode structure includes a gate electrode and a gate dielectric arranged between the gate electrode and the wide band gap semiconductor body. A gate interconnection structure is arranged outside of the active transistor area. The gate interconnection structure includes an interconnection electrode and an interconnection dielectric arranged between the interconnection electrode and the wide band gap semiconductor body. Dielectric constants of a main dielectric component of at least two of i) a part of the gate interconnection dielectric, or ii) a first part of the gate dielectric, or iii) a second part of the gate dielectric differ from one another.

Abstract: A transistor device and a method for manufacturing a transistor device are disclosed. The transistor device includes a semiconductor body and a plurality of transistor cells. Each transistor cell includes: a drift region, a body region, and a source region; a gate electrode connected to a gate node; and a field electrode connected to a source node. The gate electrode is dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric, and is arranged in a first trench extending from a first surface into the semiconductor body. The field electrode is dielectrically insulated from the drift region by a high-k dielectric, and is arranged in a second trench. The second trench extends from the first surface into the semiconductor body and is spaced apart from the first trench, and the field electrode extends at least as deep as the first trench into the semiconductor body.

Abstract: A method for forming an interface layer on a silicon carbide body comprises removing an oxide layer from a surface of a silicon carbide body to obtain a silicon carbide surface. The silicon carbide body comprises a source region of a first conductivity type and a body region of a second conductivity type. The method further comprises after removing the oxide layer, depositing an interface layer directly on the silicon carbide surface. The interface layer has a thickness of less or equal to 15 nm. The method further comprises forming an electrical insulator over the interface layer, and forming a gate electrode over the electrical insulator.

Abstract: There is described a semiconductor device comprising an SiC body with a gate structure comprising a gate dielectric with a specific multilayer laminate structure including alternating layers of a first dielectric material and of a second dielectric material having a dielectric constant of 4 or higher. There is further described a method for manufacturing such a semiconductor device including an SiC body as mentioned before.

Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of transistor cells in a SiC substrate and electrically connected in parallel to form a transistor having a specified operating temperature range. Forming each transistor cell includes forming a gate structure having a gate electrode, and a gate dielectric stack separating the gate electrode from the SiC substrate and including a ferroelectric insulator. The method further includes doping the ferroelectric insulator with a doping material such that the Curie temperature of the ferroelectric insulator is in a range above the specified operating temperature range of the transistor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor body; an electrical device formed in an active region of the semiconductor body, the active region including an interface between the semiconductor body and an insulating material; and a sensor having a bandwidth tuned to at least part of an energy spectrum of light emitted by carrier recombination at the interface when the electrical device is driven between accumulation and inversion, wherein an intensity of the emitted light is proportional to a density of charge trapping states at the interface, wherein the sensor is configured to output a signal that is proportional to the intensity of the sensed light. Corresponding methods of monitoring and characterizing the semiconductor device and a test apparatus are also described.

Abstract: A method includes providing a silicon carbide substrate, wherein a gate trench extends from a main surface of the silicon carbide substrate into the silicon carbide substrate and wherein a gate dielectric is formed on at least one sidewall of the gate trench, and forming a gate electrode in the gate trench, the gate electrode including a metal structure and a semiconductor layer between the metal structure and the gate dielectric.

Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of transistor cells in a SiC substrate and electrically connected in parallel to form a transistor having a specified operating temperature range. Forming each transistor cell includes forming a gate structure having a gate electrode, and a gate dielectric stack separating the gate electrode from the SiC substrate and including a ferroelectric insulator. The method further includes doping the ferroelectric insulator with a doping material such that the Curie temperature of the ferroelectric insulator is in a range above the specified operating temperature range of the transistor.