With Electric Field Controlling Semiconductor Layer Having A Low Enough Doping Level In Relationship To Its Thickness To Be Fully Depleted Prior To Avalanche Breakdown (e.g., Resurf Devices) Patents (Class 257/492)
  • Patent number: 7768093
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a heavily doped substrate and an upper layer with doped silicon of a first conductivity type disposed on the substrate, the upper layer having an upper surface and including an active region that comprises a well region of a second, opposite conductivity type. An edge termination zone has a junction termination extension (JTE) region of the second conductivity type, the region having portions extending away from the well region and a number of field limiting rings of the second conductivity type disposed at the upper surface in the junction termination extension region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Hille, Thomas Raker
  • Publication number: 20100148823
    Abstract: An RESURF region is formed so as to surround a high-potential logic region with an isolation region interposed therebetween, in which a sense resistance and a first logic circuit which are applied with a high potential are formed in high-potential logic region. On the outside of RESURF region, a second logic circuit region is formed, which is applied with the driving voltage level required for driving a second logic circuit with respect to the ground potential. In RESURF region, a drain electrode of a field-effect transistor is formed along the inner periphery, and a source electrode is formed along the outer periphery. Furthermore, a polysilicon resistance connected to sense resistance is formed in the shape of a spiral from the inner peripheral side toward the outer peripheral side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7736964
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of separating a thin film transistor, and circuit or a semiconductor device including the thin film transistor from a substrate by a method different from that disclosed in the patent document 1 and transposing the thin film transistor, and the circuit or the semiconductor device to a substrate having flexibility. According to the present invention, a large opening or a plurality of openings is formed at an insulating film, a conductive film connected to a thin film transistor is formed at the opening, and a peeling layer is removed, then, a layer having the thin film transistor is transposed to a substrate provided with a conductive film or the like. A thin film transistor according to the present invention has a semiconductor film which is crystallized by laser irradiation and prevents a peeling layer from exposing at laser irradiation not to be irradiated with laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Yamamoto, Koichiro Tanaka, Atsuo Isobe, Daisuke Ohgarane, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7732821
    Abstract: The SiC semiconductor device includes a substrate of a first conduction type made of silicon carbide, a drift layer of the first conduction type made of silicon carbide, the drift layer being less doped than the substrate, a cell portion constituted by a part of the substrate and a part of the drift layer, a circumferential portion constituted by another part of the substrate and another part of the drift layer, the circumferential portion being formed so as to surround the cell portion, and a RESURF layer of a second conduction type formed in a surface portion of the drift layer so as to be located in the circumferential portion. The RESURF layer is constituted by first and second RESURF layers having different impurity concentrations, the second RESURF layer being in contact with an outer circumference of the first RESURF layer and extending to a circumference of the cell portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohiro Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Toshiyuki Morishita
  • Patent number: 7719029
    Abstract: A single-photon avalanche detector is disclosed that is operable at wavelengths greater than 1000 nm and at operating speeds greater than 10 MHz. The single-photon avalanche detector comprises a thin-film resistor and avalanche photodiode that are monolithically integrated such that little or no additional capacitance is associated with the addition of the resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Princeton Lightwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Allen Itzler
  • Patent number: 7705399
    Abstract: The invention provides a high voltage MOS transistor having a high gate breakdown voltage and a high source/drain breakdown voltage and having a low on-resistance. A gate electrode is formed on an epitaxial silicon layer with a LOCOS film being interposed therebetween. A P-type first drift layer is formed on the left side of the LOCOS film, and a P+-type source layer is disposed on the surface of the epitaxial silicon layer on the right side of the LOCOS film, being opposed to the first drift layer over the gate electrode. A P-type second drift layer is formed by being diffused in the epitaxial silicon layer deeper than the first drift layer, extending from under the first drift layer to under the left side of the LOCOS film. A recess is formed in a bottom portion of the second drift layer under the left end of the LOCOS film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Tanaka, Shuichi Kikuchi, Kiyofumi Nakaya
  • Patent number: 7692242
    Abstract: A low resistance layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and a high resistance layer formed on the low resistance layer. A source region of a first conductivity type is formed on a surface region of the high resistance layer. A drain region of the first conductivity type is formed at a distance from the source region. A first resurf region of the first conductivity type is formed in a surface region of the high resistance layer between the source region and the drain region. A channel region of a second conductivity type is formed between the source region and the first resurf region. A gate insulating film is formed on the channel region, and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film. An impurity concentration in the channel region under the gate electrode gradually lowers from the source region toward the first resurf region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsudai, Norio Yasuhara, Yusuke Kawaguchi, Kenichi Matsushita
  • Patent number: 7679160
    Abstract: A high voltage/power semiconductor device has at least one active region having a plurality of high voltage junctions electrically connected in parallel. At least part of each of the high voltage junctions is located in or on a respective membrane such that the active region is provided at least in part over plural membranes. There are non-membrane regions between the membranes. The device has a low voltage terminal and a high voltage terminal. At least a portion of the low voltage terminal and at least a portion of the high voltage terminal are connected directly or indirectly to a respective one of the high voltage junctions. At least those portions of the high voltage terminal that are in direct or indirect contact with one of the high voltage junctions are located on or in a respective one of the plural membranes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Cambridge Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Florin Udrea, Gehan Anil Joseph Amaratunga
  • Patent number: 7675120
    Abstract: A composite integrated circuit incorporating two LDMOSFETs of unlike designs, with the consequent creation of a parasitic transistor. A multipurpose resistor is integrally built into the composite integrated circuit in order to prevent the parasitic transistor from accidentally turning on. In an intended application of the composite integrated circuit to a startup circuit of a switching-mode power supply, the multipurpose resistor serves as startup resistor for limiting the flow of rush current during the startup period of the switching-mode power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichi Sekiguchi, Kazuya Aizawa
  • Patent number: 7671440
    Abstract: A field-effect transistor having cells (18) each having a source region (22), source body region (26), drift region (20), drain body region (28) and drain region (24) arranged longitudinally, laterally alternating with structures to achieve a reduced surface field. In embodiments, the structures can include longitudinally spaced insulated gate trenches (35) defining a gate region (31) adjacent the source or drain region (22, 24) and a longitudinally extending potential plate region (33) adjacent the drift region (20). Alternatively, a separate potential plate region (33) or a longitudinally extending semi-insulating field plate (50) may be provided adjacent the drift region (20). The transistor is suitable for bi-directional switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Raymond J. E. Hueting, Erwin A. Hijzen
  • Patent number: 7663203
    Abstract: In a high-voltage PMOS transistor having an insulated gate electrode (18), a p-conductive source (15) in an n-conductive well (11), a p-conductive drain (14) in a p-conductive well (12) which is arranged in the n-conductive well, and having a field oxide area (13) between the gate electrode and drain, the depth (A?-B?) of the n-conductive well underneath the drain (14) is less than underneath the source (15), and the depth (A?-B?) of the p-conductive well is greatest underneath the drain (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Austriamicrosystems AG
    Inventor: Martin Knaipp
  • Patent number: 7659607
    Abstract: A storage apparatus 10 is disclosed, that comprises a wiring substrate 11 having a first surface and a second surface, a flat type external connection terminal 12a disposed on the first surface of the wiring substrate 11, a semiconductor device 14 disposed on the second surface of the wiring substrate 11 and having a connection terminal 14a connected to the flat type external connection terminal 12a, a molding resin 15 for coating the semiconductor device 14 on the second surface of the wiring substrate 11, a card type supporting frame 10a having a concave portion or a hole portion fitting the wiring substrate 11, the semiconductor device 14, and the molding resin 15 in such a manner that the flat type external connection terminal 12a is exposed to the first surface of the wiring substrate 11, and adhesive resin a adhering integrally the flat type external connection terminal 12a, the wiring substrate 11, the semiconductor device 14, the molding resin 15, and the card type supporting frame 10a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hiroshi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7659575
    Abstract: The technology of preventing lowering of the element breakdown voltage of a trench gate control type semiconductor element is offered. n? type epitaxial layer (drift region) formed in the main surface side of the substrate, p type semiconductor layer (channel region) formed in n? type epitaxial layer, and p? type well (electric field relaxation layer) which was formed in n? type epitaxial layer in contact with the p type semiconductor layer and whose depth is deeper than the p type semiconductor layer are included. The trench whose depth is deeper than p? type well is patterned in the substrate, and the second gate electrode is formed in the inside of the trench via the insulation film. Among the trenches in the cell area in which power MISFET is formed, one end of p? type well is formed between a plurality of cell trenches in which a second gate electrode is formed, and the other end of p? type well is formed in the peripheral region contiguous to the cell area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Matsuura, Yoshito Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 7659596
    Abstract: A semiconductor lateral voltage-sustaining region and devices based thereupon. The voltage-sustaining region is made by using the Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor capacitance formed by terrace field plate to emit or to absorb electric flux on the semiconductor surface, so that the effective electric flux density emitted from the semiconductor surface to the substrate approaches approximately the optimum distribution, and a highest breakdown voltage can be achieved within a smallest distance on the surface. The field plate(s) can be either connected to an electrode or floating ones, or connected to floating field limiting rings. Coupling capacitance between different plates can also be used to change the flux distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: University of Electronic Science & Technology
    Inventor: Xingbi Chen
  • Patent number: 7656011
    Abstract: A diode is disclosed. One embodiment provides a semiconductor body having a front and a back, opposite the front in a vertical direction of the semiconductor body. The semiconductor body contains, successively in the vertical direction from the back to the front, a heavily n-doped zone, a weakly n-doped zone, a weakly p-doped zone and a heavily p-doped zone. In the vertical direction, the weakly p-doped zone has a thickness of at least 25% and at most 50% of the thickness of the semiconductor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Franz-Josef Niedernostheide, Reiner Barthelmess
  • Patent number: 7652307
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device of the present invention, a MOS transistor is disposed in an elliptical shape. Linear regions in the elliptical shape are respectively used as the active regions, and round regions in the elliptical shape is used respectively as the inactive regions. In each of the inactive regions, a P type diffusion layer is formed to coincide with a round shape. Another P type diffusion layer is formed in a part of one of the inactive regions. These P type diffusion layers are formed as floating diffusion layers, are capacitively coupled to a metal layer on an insulating layer, and assume a state where predetermined potentials are respectively applied thereto. This structure makes it possible to maintain current performance of the active regions, while improving the withstand voltage characteristics in the inactive regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Kikuchi, Kiyofumi Nakaya, Shigeaki Okawa
  • Patent number: 7642139
    Abstract: A production method for a semiconductor device, including the steps of: forming a semiconductor layer of the first conductivity on the semiconductor substrate; forming a trench in the semiconductor layer, the trench penetrating through the semiconductor layer to reach the semiconductor substrate; filling a filling material in a predetermined bottom portion of the trench, so that a filling material portion is provided in the bottom portion of the trench up to a predetermined upper surface position which is shallower than an interface between the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor layer; and, after the filling step, introducing an impurity of the second conductivity into a portion of the semiconductor layer exposed to an interior side wall of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaru Takaishi
  • Patent number: 7638368
    Abstract: A reverse blocking semiconductor device that shows no adverse effect of an isolation region on reverse recovery peak current, that has a breakdown withstanding structure exhibiting satisfactory soft recovery, that suppresses aggravation of reverse leakage current, which essentially accompanies a conventional reverse blocking IGBT, and that retains satisfactorily low on-state voltage is disclosed. The device includes a MOS gate structure formed on a n? drift layer, the MOS gate structure including a p+ base layer formed in a front surface region of the drift layer, an n+ emitter region formed in a surface region of the base layer, a gate insulation film covering a surface area of the base layer between the emitter region and the drift layer, and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulation film. An emitter electrode is in contact with both the emitter region and the base layer of the MOS gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Nemoto, Manabu Takei, Tatsuya Naito
  • Patent number: 7629631
    Abstract: A high-voltage field-effect device contains an extended drain or “drift” region having a plurality of JFET regions separated by portions of the drift region. Each of the JFET regions is filled with material of an opposite conductivity type to that of the drift region, and at least two sides of each JFET region is lined with an oxide layer. In one group of embodiments the JFET regions extend from the surface of an epitaxial layer to an interface between the epitaxial layer and an underlying substrate, and the walls of each JFET region are lined with an oxide layer. When the device is blocking a voltage in the off condition, the semiconductor material inside the JFET regions and in the drift region that separates the JFET regions is depleted. This improves the voltage-blocking ability of the device while conserving chip area. The oxide layer prevents dopant from the JFET regions from diffusing into the drift region and allowing the JFET regions to be accurately located in the drift region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Inventor: Hamza Yilmaz
  • Publication number: 20090294849
    Abstract: Breakdown voltage BVdss is enhanced and ON-resistance reduced in RESURF devices (40, 60, 80, 80?, 80?), e.g., LDMOS transistors, by careful charge balancing, even when body (44, 44?, 84, 84?) and drift (50, 50?, 90, 90?) region charge balance is not ideal, by: (i) providing a plug or sinker (57) near the drain (52, 92) and of the same conductivity type extending through the drift region (50, 50?, 90, 90?) at least into the underlying body region (44, 44? 84, 84?), and/or (ii) applying bias Viso to a surrounding lateral doped isolation wall (102) coupled to the device buried layer (42, 82), and/or (iii) providing a variable resistance bridge (104) between the isolation wall (102) and the drift region (50, 50?, 90, 90?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Won Gi Min, Zhihong Zhang, Hongzhong Xu, Jiang-Kai Zuo
  • Publication number: 20090261379
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region with a vertical drift path of a first conduction type and with a near-surface lateral well of a second, complementary conduction type. In addition, the semiconductor device has an edge region surrounding the active region. This edge region has a variable lateral doping material zone of the second conduction type, which adjoins the well. A transition region in which the concentration of doping material gradually decreases from the concentration of the well to the concentration at the start of the variable lateral doping material zone is located between the lateral well and the variable lateral doping material zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Elmar FALCK, Josef Bauer, Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7602037
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of a semiconductor device capable of high-voltage operation includes a substrate with a well region therein. A gate stack with a first side and a second side opposite thereto, overlies the well region. Within the well region, a doped body region includes a channel region extending under a portion of the gate stack and a drift region is adjacent to the channel region. A drain region is within the drift region and spaced apart by a distance from the first side thereof and a source region is within the doped body region near the second side thereof. There is no P-N junction between the doped body region and the well region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yi-Chun Lin, Chi-Chih Chen, Kuo-Ming Wu, Ruey-Hsin Liu
  • Patent number: 7598586
    Abstract: A semiconductor device, including: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity; and a semiconductor layer provided on the semiconductor substrate and having a super junction structure including drift layers of the first conductivity and RESURF layers of a second conductivity different from the first conductivity, the drift layers and the RESURF layers being laterally arranged in alternate relation parallel to the semiconductor substrate, the RESURF layers being each provided alongside an interior side wall of a trench penetrating through the semiconductor layer, the drift layers each having an isolation region present between the RESURF layer and the semiconductor substrate to prevent the RESURF layer from contacting the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaru Takaishi
  • Patent number: 7589389
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising: a base layer of a first conductivity type selectively formed above a semiconductor substrate; a gate electrode formed on the base layer via the insulating film; a source layer of a second conductivity type selectively formed at a surface of the base layer at one side of the gate electrode; an channel implantation layer selectively formed at the surface of the base layer so as to be adjacent to the source layer below the gate electrode, the channel implantation layer having a higher concentration than the base layer; a RESURF layer of the second conductivity type selectively formed at the surface of the base layer at the other side of the gate electrode; and a drain layer of a second conductivity type being adjacent to the RESURF layer, a portion of the drain layer overlapping the base layer, and the drain layer having a higher concentration than the RESURF layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsudai, Norio Yasuhara
  • Patent number: 7576393
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a pillar layer including first semiconductor pillars of a first conduction type and second semiconductor pillars of a second conduction type formed laterally, periodically and alternately. The first and second semiconductor pillars include a plurality of diffusion layers formed in a third semiconductor layer as coupled along the depth. The diffusion layers have lateral widths varied at certain periods along the depth. An average of the lateral widths of the diffusion layers in one certain period is made almost equal to another between different periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Syotaro Ono, Wataru Saito
  • Patent number: 7546557
    Abstract: The diffusion structures in CMOS devices can be changed to minimize the effects of IR drop on those devices. A simulation can be run before tape-off to determine which transistors are at risk. The area of the source region and/or the width of the drain region of the at-risk transistor(s) can be adjusted to change the capacitive and/or resistive capability of the transistor(s). These altered diffusion structures can reduce the peak IR drop value, such as by an amount in the range of 8%-30% of the original peak noise, to prevent the chip from malfunctioning due to the resultant noise. The reduction in IR drop can be balanced with the timing delays introduced by the increased capacitance of the source area. An optimal combination of source area and drain width can be obtained and instituted during the simulation and testing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Myung Jin Kong
  • Patent number: 7541248
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor device containing semiconductor elements that have respective desired on-resistances and breakdown voltages achieves appropriate characteristics as a whole of the integrated semiconductor element. The integrated semiconductor device includes a plurality of semiconductor elements formed in a semiconductor layer and each having a source of an n type semiconductor, a drain of the n type semiconductor and a back gate of a p type semiconductor between the source and the drain. At least a predetermined part of the drain of one semiconductor element and a predetermined part of the drain of another semiconductor element have respective impurity concentrations different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Nitta, Tomohide Terashima
  • Patent number: 7541660
    Abstract: A The semiconductor device has a heavily doped substrate and an upper layer with doped silicon of a first conductivity type disposed on the substrate, the upper layer having an upper surface and including an active region that comprises a well region of a second, opposite conductivity type. An edge termination zone has a junction termination extension (JTE) region of the second conductivity type, the region having portions extending away from the well region and a number of field limiting rings of the second conductivity type disposed at the upper surface in the junction termination extension region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schulze, Frank Hille, Thomas Raker
  • Patent number: 7538407
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus (100) comprises a low potential reference circuit region (1) and a high potential reference circuit region (2), and the high potential reference circuit region (2) is surrounded by a high withstand voltage separating region (3). By a trench (4) formed in the outer periphery of the high withstand voltage separating region (3), the low potential reference circuit region (1) and high potential reference circuit region (2) are separated from each other. Further, the trench (4) is filled up with an insulating material, and insulates the low potential reference circuit region (1) and high potential reference circuit region (2). The high withstand voltage separating region (3) is partitioned by the trench (4), high withstand voltage NMOS (5) or high withstand voltage PMOS (6) is provided in the partitioned position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Taki, Hideki Tojima
  • Patent number: 7535057
    Abstract: Floating trenches are arranged in the layout of a single DMOS transistor or an array of DMOS transistors, the array forming a single power transistor. The trenches run perpendicular to the gate width direction either outside the transistor(s) or between rows of the transistors. The floating trenches are at a potential between the drain voltage and the substrate voltage (usually ground). The potentials of the opposing trenches cause merging depletion regions in the drift region. This merging shapes the field lines so as to increase the breakdown voltage of the transistor and provide other advantages. The technique is applicable to both lateral and vertical DMOS transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Inventor: Robert Kuo-Chang Yang
  • Patent number: 7531888
    Abstract: A lateral Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (LIGBT) includes a semiconductor substrate and an anode region in the semiconductor substrate. A cathode region of a first conductivity type in the substrate is laterally spaced from the anode region, and a cathode region of a second conductivity type in the substrate is located proximate to and on a side of the cathode region of the first conductivity type opposite from the anode region. A drift region in the semiconductor substrate extends between the anode region and the cathode region of the first conductivity type. An insulated gate is operatively coupled to the cathode region of the first conductivity type and is located on a side of the cathode region of the first conductivity type opposite from the anode region. An insulating spacer overlies the cathode region of the second conductivity type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Cai
  • Patent number: 7518197
    Abstract: A power semiconductor device has a first base layer of first conductive type, a contact layer of first conductive type formed on a surface of the first base layer, a second base layer of first conductive layer which is formed on the surface of the first base layer at a side opposite to the first contact layer and has an impurity concentration higher than that of the first base layer, a second contact layer of second conductive type formed on the surface of the first base layer or the second base layer, and a junction termination region formed in vicinity of or in contact with outside in a horizontal direction of the second contact layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masakazu Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20090085146
    Abstract: A semiconductor device 1 includes a square substrate 2, first RESURF structures 3 in the shape of planar stripes on an element area 10 of a main surface of the substrate 2, a transistor T arranged between the first RESURF structures 3, a first high withstand voltage section 11 constituted by second RESURF structures 3a in the shape of planar strips on a periphery of the main surface of the substrate 2, and a second high withstand voltage section 12 constituted by third RESURF structures 3b which are symmetrically arranged at corners of the substrate 2 with respect to a diagonal line D of the main surface of the substrate 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hironori AOKI
  • Patent number: 7511319
    Abstract: A power metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET)(100) incorporates a stepped drift region including a shallow trench insulator (STI)(112) partially overlapped by the gate (114) and which extends a portion of the distance to a drain region (122). A silicide block extends from and partially overlaps STI (112) and drain region (122). The STI (112) has a width that is approximately 50% to 75% of the drift region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronghua Zhu, Amitava Bose, Vishnu K. Khemka, Todd C. Roggenbauer
  • Publication number: 20090057808
    Abstract: A semiconductor device, a semiconductor element, and a substrate are provided, which allow the semiconductor element to be provided with a reduced size when combined. The semiconductor device of the invention has a rectangular semiconductor element mounted on a substrate formed with an external input terminal, an external output terminal, and a plurality of wiring patterns connected to each of the external input terminal and the external output terminal. The semiconductor element includes a grayscale voltage generating unit for generating a plurality of grayscale voltages by dividing a reference voltage, a plurality of electrodes for the reference voltage formed in the neighborhood of the grayscale voltage generating unit; and an internal wiring for connecting the grayscale voltage generating unit and the reference voltage electrodes. The substrate includes a wiring pattern for the reference voltage for connecting the external input terminal and the reference voltage electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: OKI ELECTRIC INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akira Nakayama
  • Patent number: 7498652
    Abstract: The present invention provides, in one embodiment, a transistor (100). The transistor (100) comprises a doped semiconductor substrate (105) and a gate structure (110) over the semiconductor substrate (105), the gate structure (110) having a gate corner (125). The transistor (100) also includes a drain-extended well (115) surrounded by the doped semiconductor substrate (105). The drain-extended well (115) has an opposite dopant type as the doped semiconductor substrate (105). The drain-extended well (115) also has a low-doped region (145) between high-doped regions (150), wherein an edge of the low-doped region (155) is substantially coincident with a perimeter (140) defined by the gate corner (125). Other embodiments of the present invention include a method of manufacturing a transistor (200) and an integrated circuit (300).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Shanjen Pan, Sameer Pendharkar, James R. Todd
  • Patent number: 7482205
    Abstract: A starting wafer for high voltage semiconductor devices is formed by implanting arsenic into the top surface of a p type silicon substrate wafer to a depth of about 0.1 micron. A N type non-graded epitaxial layer is then grown atop the substrate without any diffusion step so that the arsenic is not intentionally driven. Device junction are then diffused into the epitaxially grown layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas Herman
  • Patent number: 7476935
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is configured to prevent destruction of elements and/or miss-operation of the circuit by parasitic effects produced by parasitic transistors when a MOSFET of a bridge circuit is formed on a single chip. A Schottky junction is formed by providing an anode electrode in an n well region where a source region, a drain region, and a p well region of a lateral MOSFET. A Schottky barrier diode constituting a majority carrier device is connected in parallel with a PN junction capable of being forward-biased so that the PN junction is not forward-biased so that minority carriers are not generated, and thereby suppressing parasitic effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Kumagai, Yuuichi Harada, Shinichi Jimbo, Yoshihiro Ikura, Tatsuhiko Fujihira, Kazuhiko Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7476931
    Abstract: A vertical semiconductor device includes a vertical, active region including a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, and a third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type, a trench extending through the third semiconductor layer at least into the second semiconductor layer, the trench comprising a first portion bordering on the third semiconductor layer, and the trench comprising a second portion extending at least into the second semiconductor layer starting from the first portion, an insulating layer associated with a control terminal and at least partially arranged on a side wall of the first portion of the trench and at least partially extending into the second portion of the trench, and a resistive layer with a field-strength-dependent resistance and arranged in the second portion of the trench at least partially on the sidewall and the bottom of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7473965
    Abstract: The relationship between a distance Ls between a base layer and an n type buffer layer formed on the surface of a drift layer and the thickness t of a semiconductor substrate in contact with the drift layer is set to Ls?t?2×Ls. A loss upon turn-off of a high breakdown voltage semiconductor device can be reduced without deteriorating breakdown voltage characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohide Terashima
  • Patent number: 7473978
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising: a base layer of a first conductivity type selectively formed above a semiconductor substrate; a gate electrode formed on the base layer via the insulating film; a source layer of a second conductivity type selectively formed at a surface of the base layer at one side of the gate electrode; an channel implantation layer selectively formed at the surface of the base layer so as to be adjacent to the source layer below the gate electrode, the channel implantation layer having a higher concentration than the base layer; a RESURF layer of the second conductivity type selectively formed at the surface of the base layer at the other side of the gate electrode; and a drain layer of a second conductivity type being adjacent to the RESURF layer, a portion of the drain layer overlapping the base layer, and the drain layer having a higher concentration than the RESURF layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsudai, Norio Yasuhara
  • Patent number: 7466006
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for reducing substrate leakage current of lateral RESURF diode devices. The diode device (60, 60?, 100) comprises first (39) and second (63) surface terminals overlying a semiconductor substrate (22) coupled to P (38, 32, 26) and N (24, 30, 46) type regions providing the diode action. An unavoidable parasitic vertical device (54, 92) permits leakage current to flow from the first terminal (39) to the substrate (22). This leakage current is reduced by having the diode device second terminal (63) comprise both N (46) and P (62) type regions coupled together by the second terminal (63). This forms a shorted base-collector lateral transistor (72) between the first (39) and second (63) terminals to provide the diode function. The gain of this lateral transistor (72) increases the proportion of first terminal (39) current that flows to the second terminal (63) rather than the substrate (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishnu K. Khemka, Ronghua Zhu, Amitava Bose
  • Patent number: 7462532
    Abstract: A high voltage metal oxide semiconductor device comprising a substrate, an N-type epitaxial layer, an isolation structure, a gate dielectric layer, a gate, an N-type drain region, a P-type well, an N-type source region, a first N-type well and a buried N-doped region is provided. The first N-type well is disposed in the N-type epitaxial layer under the isolation structure and on one side of the gate. The first N-type well overlaps with the N-type drain region. The buried N-doped region is disposed in the substrate under the N-type epitaxial layer and connected to the first N-type well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chih-Hua Lee, Ming-I Chen
  • Publication number: 20080277669
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a JBS diode includes: a SiC substrate; a drift layer on the substrate; an insulation film on the drift layer having an opening in a cell region; a Schottky barrier diode having a Schottky electrode contacting the drift layer through the opening and an ohmic electrode on the substrate; a terminal structure having a RESURF layer in the drift layer surrounding the cell region; and multiple second conductive type layers in the drift layer on an inner side of the RESURF layer contacting the Schottky electrode. The second conductive type layers are separated from each other. The second conductive type layers and the drift layer provide a PN diode. Each second conductive type layer has a depth larger than the RESURF layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiichi Okuno, Takeo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7436025
    Abstract: A semiconductor device 10 is provided. A first layer 12 has a first dopant type; a second layer 14 is provided over the first layer 12; and a third layer 16 is provided over the second layer and has the first dopant type. A plurality of first and second semiconductor regions 22, 24 are within the third layer. The first semiconductor region 22 has the first dopant type, and the second semiconductor region 24 has the second dopant type. The first and second semiconductor regions 22, 24 are disposed laterally to one another in an alternating pattern to form a super junction, and the super junction terminates with a final second semiconductor region 24, 24? of the second dopant type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronghua Zhu, Amitava Bose, Vishnu K. Khemka, Todd C. Roggenbauer
  • Patent number: 7436041
    Abstract: An ESD protection circuit using a double-triggered silicon controller rectifier (SCR). The double-triggered silicon controller rectifier (SCR) includes N+ diffusion areas, P+ diffusion areas, a first N-well region, a second N-well region and a third N-well region formed in a P-substrate. The N+ diffusion areas and the P+ diffusion areas are isolated by shallow trench isolation (STI) structures. Two of the N+ diffusion areas are N-type trigger terminals. Two of the P+ diffusion areas are the P-type trigger terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: National Chiao Tung University
    Inventors: Ming-Dou Ker, Kuo-Chun Hsu
  • Publication number: 20080237774
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type provided on a major surface of the semiconductor substrate and having lower doping concentration than the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of first semiconductor column regions of the first conductivity type provided on the first semiconductor layer; a plurality of second semiconductor column regions of a second conductivity type provided on the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor column regions being adjacent to the first semiconductor column regions; a first semiconductor region; a second semiconductor region; a gate insulating film; a first main electrode; a second main electrode; and a control electrode. Doping concentrations in both the first and second semiconductor column region are low on the near side of the first semiconductor layer and high on the second main electrode side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Syotaro ONO, Wataru Saito
  • Patent number: 7427795
    Abstract: Drain-extended MOS transistors (T1, T2) and semiconductor devices (102) are described, as well as fabrication methods (202) therefor, in which a p-buried layer (130) is formed prior to formation of epitaxial silicon (106) over a substrate (104), and a drain-extended MOS transistor (T1, T2) is formed in the epitaxial silicon layer (106). The p-buried layer (130) may be formed above an n-buried layer (120) in the substrate (104) for high-side driver transistor (T2) applications, wherein the p-buried layer (130) extends between the drain-extended MOS transistor (T2) and the n-buried layer (120) to inhibit off-state breakdown between the source (154) and drain (156).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Sameer Pendharkar
  • Patent number: 7411272
    Abstract: A power semiconductor device has an active region that includes a drift region. At least a portion of the drift region is provided in a membrane which has opposed top and bottom surfaces. In one embodiment, the top surface of the membrane has electrical terminals connected directly or indirectly thereto to allow a voltage to be applied laterally across the drift region. In another embodiment, at least one electrical terminal is connected directly or indirectly to the top surface and at least one electrical terminal is connected directly or indirectly to the bottom surface to allow a voltage to be applied vertically across the drift region. In each of these embodiments, the bottom surface of the membrane does not have a semiconductor substrate positioned adjacent thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Cambridge Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Florin Udrea, Gehan A. J. Amaratunga
  • Patent number: 7411266
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor device is formed having charge compensation trenches in proximity to channel regions of the device. The charge compensation trenches comprise at least two opposite conductivity type semiconductor layers. A channel connecting region electrically couples the channel region to one of the at least two opposite conductivity type semiconductor layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Shanghui Larry Tu, Gordon M. Grivna