LDMOS SENSE TRANSISTOR STRUCTURE FOR CURRENT SENSING AT HIGH VOLTAGE
An integrated circuit includes a high voltage n-channel MOS power transistor integrated with a high voltage n-channel MOS blocking transistor. The power transistor and the blocking transistor have electrically coupled drain contact regions. In one embodiment, a drain area of the power transistor is separate from a drain area of the blocking transistor. In another embodiment, the drain area of the power transistor is contiguous with the drain area of the blocking transistor. The power transistor and the blocking transistor have drain extensions with drift areas. The power transistor drift area is laterally adjacent to both sides of the blocking transistor drift area. The drift areas are aligned so that breakdown does not occur between the power transistor and the blocking transistor. The body of the blocking transistor is isolated from the substrate.
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The following co-pending patent application is related and hereby incorporated by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Texas Instruments docket number TI-71361, filed simultaneously with this application). With its mention in this section, this patent application is not admitted to be prior art with respect to the present invention.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to the field of integrated circuits. More particularly, this invention relates to high-voltage transistor structures in integrated circuits.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONAn integrated circuit may contain a high voltage n-channel metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) power transistor which is configured to operate at a drain voltage which is significantly higher than an operating voltage for other transistors and circuits in the integrated circuit. For example, an integrated circuit which contains transistors and circuits which operate at 10 volts or less may also include a high voltage n-channel MOS transistor which operates at a drain voltage of over 300 volts and switches several amps. The body of the high voltage transistor may be directly connected to the substrate of the integrated circuit, for example to provide a simpler fabrication process for the integrated circuit, compared to an integrated circuit with an isolated high voltage transistor. It may be desirable to determine if current through the high voltage transistor is above a certain value when the high voltage transistor is in the on state, without increasing the fabrication complexity of the integrated circuit or unduly increasing the size of the integrated circuit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of one or more aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention, and is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention, nor to delineate the scope thereof. Rather, the primary purpose of the summary is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description that is presented later.
An integrated circuit may include a high voltage n-channel MOS power transistor integrated with a high voltage n-channel MOS blocking transistor which have coupled drain terminals and aligned drift areas in their respective drain extensions. The drift areas are aligned so that breakdown does not occur between the power transistor and the blocking transistor. The body of the power transistor may be directly connected to the substrate of the integrated circuit, while the body of the blocking transistor is isolated from the substrate.
The present invention is described with reference to the attached figures, wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the figures to designate similar or equivalent elements. The figures are not drawn to scale and they are provided merely to illustrate the invention. Several aspects of the invention are described below with reference to example applications for illustration. It should be understood that numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide an understanding of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art, however, will readily recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the invention. The present invention is not limited by the illustrated ordering of acts or events, as some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events. Furthermore, not all illustrated acts or events are required to implement a methodology in accordance with the present invention.
An integrated circuit may include a high voltage n-channel MOS power transistor integrated with a high voltage n-channel MOS blocking transistor. The power transistor and the blocking transistor have coupled drain terminals. In one embodiment, a drain area of the power transistor is separate from a drain area of the blocking transistor, and drain contact regions in the respective drain areas are electrically coupled through metal interconnects of the integrated circuit, possibly including a current sense resistor. In another embodiment, the drain area of the power transistor is contiguous with the drain area of the blocking transistor, so that the drain contact regions in the respective the drain areas are electrically coupled through n-type doped regions in a substrate of the integrated circuit. The power transistor and the blocking transistor have drain extensions with drift areas, so as to be able to operate at drain voltages over 300 volts. The power transistor drift area is laterally adjacent to both sides of the blocking transistor drift area. The drift areas are aligned so that breakdown does not occur between the power transistor and the blocking transistor. The body of the power transistor may be directly connected to the substrate of the integrated circuit, which may desirably reduce a size and fabrication complexity of the integrated circuit, while the body of the blocking transistor is isolated from the substrate, to allow a source node of the blocking transistor to be connected to another component of the integrated circuit, such as an input to a comparator. In one embodiment, the power transistor drift area and the blocking transistor drift area may be formed concurrently and have a same layer structure. In another embodiment, the power transistor drift area and the blocking transistor drift area may have a different layer structure.
For the purposes of this description, the term “RESURF” will be understood to refer to a material which reduces an electric field in an adjacent semiconductor region. A RESURF region may be for example a semiconductor region with an opposite conductivity type from the adjacent semiconductor region. RESURF structures are described in Appels, et. al., “Thin Layer High Voltage Devices” Philips J, Res. 35 1-13, 1980.
For the purposes of this description, the term “vertically cumulative doping density” of a doped layer is understood to mean an integrated sum of an instant local doping density in the doped layer from a bottom surface of the layer to a top surface of the layer. The instant local doping density is described in units of atoms/cm3, and the vertically cumulative doping density is described in units of atoms/cm2.
An alternate embodiment may have a fan-shaped blocking transistor 111 disposed at a tip of a finger 113 of the power transistor 102. The blocking transistor 111 includes a drain area 115 which is contiguous with the power transistor drain area 104, and electrically coupled to the power transistor drain area 104. The blocking transistor 111 has a fan-shaped drift area 117 which abuts the blocking transistor drain area 115. The power transistor drift area 106 is laterally adjacent to both sides of the blocking transistor drift area 117; the blocking transistor drift area 117 is aligned with the power transistor drift area 106 so that breakdown does not occur between the blocking transistor 111 and the power transistor 102. The blocking transistor 111 has an arc-shaped channel/source area 119 abutting the blocking transistor drift area 117 opposite from the blocking transistor drain area 115 and proximate to the power transistor channel/source area 108.
The channel/source area 116 of the blocking transistor 110 or 111 may be connected to another component of the integrated circuit, for example a comparator. Location of the blocking transistor 110 or 111 with respect to the power transistor 102 may be chosen to facilitate a layout of the integrated circuit 100.
A p-type body 718 is disposed in the substrate 702 in the channel/source area 714 abutting the drift layer 706. Field oxide 720 is disposed at a top surface of the substrate 702 in the drift area 712 and laterally isolating the drain area 710 and the channel/source area 714. The body 718 is electrically isolated from the substrate 702 by a body isolation structure 722, possibly contacting the field oxide 720. The body isolation structure 722 may include, for example, an extension of the drift layer 706, a deep n-type well, an n-type buried layer, and/or a dielectric deep trench isolation structure.
A gate dielectric layer 724 is disposed at the top surface of the substrate 702, overlapping the body 718 and the drift layer 706 in the channel/source area 714. A gate 726 is disposed over the gate dielectric layer 724 in the channel/source area 714. An optional field plate 728 is disposed over the field oxide 720 overlapping a boundary of the drift layer 706 in the drain area 710. The field plate 728 may be formed concurrently with the gate 726.
An n-type source 730 is disposed in the body 718 adjacent to the gate 726. An n-type drain contact region 732 is disposed at the top surface of the substrate 702 in the drain area 710, so as to make electrical contact with the drift layer 706. Optional metal silicide, not shown, may be disposed over the source 730, the drain contact region 732 and possibly the gate 726.
A source contact 734 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the source 730, through the metal silicide, if present. A drain contact 736 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the drain contact region 732, through the metal silicide, if present. A gate contact 738 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the gate 726, through the metal silicide, if present.
Referring to
A p-type body 754 is disposed in the substrate 702 in the channel/source area 750 abutting the drift layer 744. Field oxide 720 laterally isolates the drain area 716 and the channel/source area 750. The body 754 is directly electrically connected to the substrate 702.
The gate dielectric layer 724 overlaps the body 754 and the drift layer 744 in the channel/source area 750. A gate 756 is disposed over the gate dielectric layer 724 in the channel/source area 750. An optional field plate 758 is disposed over the field oxide 720 overlapping a boundary of the drift layer 744 in the drain area 716. The field plate 758 may be formed concurrently with the gate 756.
An n-type source 760 is disposed in the body 754 adjacent to the gate 756. An n-type drain contact region 762 is disposed at the top surface of the substrate 702 in the drain area 716, so as to make electrical contact with the drift layer 744. The power transistor drain contact region 762 is separated from the blocking transistor drain contact region 732 by field oxide 720. The optional metal silicide, not shown, may be disposed over the source 760, the drain contact region 762 and possibly the gate 756.
A source contact 764 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the source 760, through the metal silicide, if present. A drain contact 766 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the drain contact region 762, through the metal silicide, if present. A gate contact 768 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the gate 756, through the metal silicide, if present. In the instant embodiment, the power transistor drain contact 766 is separate from the blocking transistor drain contact 736. The blocking transistor drain contact region 732 in the blocking transistor drain area 710 is electrically coupled to the power transistor drain contact region 762 in the power transistor drain area 716 through metal interconnects, not shown, of the integrated circuit 700, possibly including through a current sense resistor.
A p-type body 818 is disposed in the substrate 802 in the channel/source area 812 abutting the drift layer 806. Field oxide 820 is disposed at a top surface of the substrate 802 in the drift area 810 and laterally isolating the drain area 808 and the channel/source area 812. The body 818 is electrically isolated from the substrate 802 by a body isolation structure 822, as described in reference to
A gate dielectric layer 824, a gate 826 and an optional field plate 828 are disposed in the blocking transistor 804 as described in reference to
A source contact 834 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the source 830, through optional metal silicide, if present. A drain contact 836 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the drain contact region 832, through the metal silicide, if present. A gate contact 838 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the gate 826, through the metal silicide, if present.
Referring to
A p-type body 854 is disposed in the substrate 802 in the channel/source area 850 abutting the drift layer 844. Field oxide 820 laterally isolates the drain area 816 and the channel/source area 850. The body 854 is directly electrically connected to the substrate 802.
The gate dielectric layer 824 overlaps the body 854 and the drift layer 844 in the channel/source area 850. A gate 856 is disposed over the gate dielectric layer 824 in the channel/source area 850. An optional field plate 858 is disposed over the field oxide 820 overlapping a boundary of the drift layer 844 in the drain area 816. The field plate 858 may be formed concurrently with the gate 856.
An n-type source 860 is disposed in the body 854 adjacent to the gate 856. The n-type drain contact region 832 is disposed at the top surface of the substrate 802 in the drain area 816, so as to make electrical contact with the drift layer 844. In one version of the instant embodiment, the drain contact region 832 may extend contiguously into the blocking transistor drain area 808 and the power transistor drain area 816, so that the drain contact region 832 in the blocking transistor drain area 808 is electrically connected to the drain contact region 832 in the power transistor drain area 816 through the drain contact region 832. In another version, instances of the drain contact region 832 in the blocking transistor drain area 808 and the power transistor drain area 816 may be laterally isolated by field oxide 820 while the power transistor drain drift layer connecting well 852 contacts the blocking transistor drain drift layer connecting well 814, so that the drain contact region 832 in the blocking transistor drain area 808 is electrically connected to the drain contact region 832 in the power transistor drain area 816 through n-type doped regions in the substrate 802 such as the blocking transistor drain drift layer connecting well 814 and the power transistor drain drift layer connecting well 852. The optional metal silicide, not shown, may be disposed over the source 860, the drain contact region 832 and possibly the gate 856.
A source contact 862 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the source 860, through the metal silicide, if present. A drain contact 864 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the drain contact region 832, through the metal silicide, if present. An instance of the drain contact 836 may be disposed in the power transistor drain area 816. A gate contact 866 is disposed so as to make electrical connection to the gate 856, through the metal silicide, if present.
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A drift layer ion implant operation is performed on the integrated circuit 1200 which implants n-type dopants such as phosphorus into the base substrate 1202 through the open areas 1216 of the drift layer implant mask 1204 to form a segmented, graded drift layer implanted region 1218. The term “segmented” in the description of the drift layer implanted region 1218 denotes that the drift layer implanted region 1218 is spatially segmented as a result of implanting the dopants through open areas 1216 defined by the segmenting elements 1214. The term “graded” in the description of the drift layer implanted region 1218 denotes that the drift layer implanted region 1218 has a lateral gradient in an average density of the implant dopants, resulting from the open areas 1216 sequentially increasing in size, and/or from the segmenting elements 1214 sequentially decreasing in size. In an alternate version of the instant embodiment, the drift layer implanted region 1218 may be segmented, but not necessarily graded, so that implanted segments of the drift layer implanted region 1218 are substantially equal in size and spacing.
Referring to
Referring to
Field oxide 1316 is formed at a top surface of the epitaxial layer 1306 over the lower drift layer 1308 with a drain contact opening 1318 in the drain area 1312 and a channel/source opening 1320 in a channel/source area 1314. An n-type upper drift layer 1322 is formed in the epitaxial layer 1306 so as to contact the lower drift layer 1308 under the drain contact opening 1318 and so as to be separated from the lower drift layer 1308 by a p-type region of the epitaxial layer 1306 in the drift area 1310 and in the channel/source area 1314. A p-type upper RESURF layer 1324 is formed in the epitaxial layer 1306 between the field oxide 1316 and the upper drift layer 1322. An n-type connecting region 1326 is formed in the epitaxial layer 1306 at the drain contact opening 1318 extending through the upper RESURF layer 1324 to the upper drift layer 1322 and the lower drift layer 1308.
Referring to
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While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only and not limitation. Numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above described embodiments. Rather, the scope of the invention should be defined in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a high voltage power transistor integrated with a blocking transistor, wherein said high voltage power transistor comprises: a first drain area including a first drain contact region; a first drift region electrically coupled to the first drain contact region, wherein the first drift region surrounds the first drain area except at said blocking transistor; a first channel/source area surrounding the first drift region; and a first body region in the first channel/source area, said first body region electrically connected to said substrate;
- and wherein the blocking transistor comprises: a second drain area including a second drain contact region electrically coupled to the first drain contact region; a second drift region electrically coupled to the second drain contact region, wherein a boundary between the second drain area and the second drift region is aligned with a boundary between the first drain area and the first drift region; a second channel/source area abutting the second drift region opposite the second drain area; and a second body region in the second channel/source region, wherein the second body region is electrically isolated from the substrate by a body isolation region.
2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, in which said second drift region is separated from said first drift region by semiconductor material of said substrate from said second drain area to said first channel/source area.
3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, in which said second drift region abuts said first drift region by semiconductor material of said substrate from said second drain area to said second channel/source area.
4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, in which said second drift region and said first drift region have a same layer structure.
5. The integrated circuit of claim 1, in which said second drift region and said first drift region have a different layer structure.
6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, in which at least one of said first drift region and said second drift region includes a buried double-sided RESURF layer.
7. The integrated circuit of claim 1, in which:
- said substrate includes a base substrate and an epitaxial layer disposed on said base substrate; and
- at least one of said first drift region and said second drift region includes an n-type buried layer at a boundary between said base substrate and said epitaxial layer.
8. The integrated circuit of claim 1, in which:
- said substrate includes a base substrate and an epitaxial layer disposed on said base substrate; and
- at least one of said first drift region and said second drift region includes an n-type double-sided RESURF drift layer with laterally graded doping density at a boundary between said base substrate and said epitaxial layer.
9. The integrated circuit of claim 1, in which:
- field oxide is disposed at said top surface of said substrate with an opening in said second channel/source area;
- an n-type buried layer is disposed in said substrate in said second channel/source area and extending under said second body region and into said second drift region so as to contact said second drift region; and
- an n-type isolation barrier well is disposed in said substrate in said second channel/source area surrounding said second body region;
- so that said field oxide and said isolation barrier well combined with said second drift region laterally surround said second body region and connect to said buried layer so as to electrically isolate said second body region from said substrate outside said second channel/source area.
10. The integrated circuit of claim 1, in which:
- field oxide is disposed at said top surface of said substrate with an opening in said second channel/source area;
- said second drift region extends into said second channel/source area under said second body region and up to said field oxide, so that said second drift region surrounds said second body region on all sides and on a bottom surface of said second body region so that said second drift region electrically isolates said second body region from said substrate outside said second channel/source area.
11. An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a p-type semiconductor substrate;
- a high voltage n-channel metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) power transistor integrated with a high voltage n-channel MOS blocking transistor, said power transistor including: a central drain area; an n-type drain contact region disposed at a top surface of said substrate in said power transistor drain area; a drift area surrounding said power transistor drain area except at said blocking transistor; an n-type drift layer in said power transistor drift area, said power transistor drift layer contacting and making electrical connection to said power transistor drain contact region, said power transistor drift layer surrounding said power transistor drain area except at said blocking transistor; a channel/source area surrounding said power transistor drift area except at said blocking transistor; and a p-type body in said power transistor channel/source area, said power transistor body being directly electrically connected to said substrate, said power transistor body said power transistor drift area except at said blocking transistor; and
- said blocking transistor including; a drain area contiguous with said power transistor drain area; an n-type drain contact region disposed at said top surface of said substrate in said blocking transistor drain area, said blocking transistor drift layer contacting and making electrical connection to said blocking transistor drain contact region, said blocking transistor drain contact region being electrically coupled to said power transistor drain contact region through n-type doped regions in said substrate; a drift area abutting said blocking transistor drain area, so that a boundary between said blocking transistor drain area and said blocking transistor drift area is aligned with a boundary between said power transistor drain area and said power transistor drift area; an n-type drift layer in said blocking transistor drift area, so that said power transistor drift area is laterally adjacent to both sides of said blocking transistor drift area; a channel/source area abutting said blocking transistor drift area opposite from said blocking transistor drain area and proximate to said power transistor channel/source area; and a p-type body in said blocking transistor channel/source area, said blocking transistor body being electrically isolated from said substrate by a body isolation structure.
12. The integrated circuit of claim 11, in which said blocking transistor drift area is separated from said power transistor drift area by semiconductor material of said substrate from said blocking transistor drain area to said blocking transistor channel/source area.
13. The integrated circuit of claim 11, in which said blocking transistor drift area abuts said power transistor drift area by semiconductor material of said substrate from said blocking transistor drain area to said blocking transistor channel/source area.
14. The integrated circuit of claim 11, in which said blocking transistor drift layer and said power transistor drift layer have a same layer structure.
15. The integrated circuit of claim 11, in which said blocking transistor drift layer and said power transistor drift layer have a different layer structure.
16. The integrated circuit of claim 11, in which at least one of said power transistor drift layer and said blocking transistor drift layer includes a buried double-sided RESURF layer.
17. The integrated circuit of claim 11, in which:
- said substrate includes a base substrate and an epitaxial layer disposed on said base substrate; and
- at least one of said power transistor drift layer and said blocking transistor drift layer includes an n-type buried layer at a boundary between said base substrate and said epitaxial layer.
18. The integrated circuit of claim 11, in which:
- said substrate includes a base substrate and an epitaxial layer disposed on said base substrate; and
- at least one of said power transistor drift layer and said blocking transistor drift layer includes an n-type double-sided RESURF drift layer with laterally graded doping density at a boundary between said base substrate and said epitaxial layer.
19. The integrated circuit of claim 11, in which:
- field oxide is disposed at said top surface of said substrate with an opening in said blocking transistor channel/source area;
- an n-type buried layer is disposed in said substrate in said channel/source area and extending under said blocking transistor body and into said blocking transistor drift area so as to contact said blocking transistor drift layer; and
- an n-type isolation barrier well is disposed in said substrate in said blocking transistor channel/source area surrounding said blocking transistor body;
- so that said field oxide and said isolation barrier well combined with said blocking transistor drift layer laterally surround said blocking transistor body and connect to said buried layer so as to electrically isolate said blocking transistor body from said substrate outside said blocking transistor channel/source area.
20. The integrated circuit of claim 11, in which:
- field oxide is disposed at said top surface of said substrate with an opening in said blocking transistor channel/source area;
- said blocking transistor drift layer extends into said blocking transistor channel/source area under said blocking transistor body and up to said field oxide, so that said blocking transistor drift layer surrounds said blocking transistor body on all sides and on a bottom surface of said blocking transistor body so that said blocking transistor drift layer electrically isolates said blocking transistor body from said substrate outside said blocking transistor channel/source area.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 20, 2012
Publication Date: Jan 23, 2014
Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED (Dallas, TX)
Inventors: Joseph Maurice Khayat (Bedford, NH), Marie Denison (Plano, TX)
Application Number: 13/554,863
International Classification: H01L 27/088 (20060101);