High-voltage diode with optimized turn-off method and corresponding optimization method
The invention relates to a high-voltage diode having a specifically optimized switch-off behavior. A soft recovery behavior of the component can be obtained without increasing the forward losses by adjusting in a specific manner the service life of the charge carriers by irradiating only the n + -conducting cathode emitter ( 6 ) side or both sides, i.e. the n + -conducting cathode emitter ( 6 ) side and the p + -conducting anode emitter ( 4 ) side.
1. A high-voltage diode having a front and a rear side and comprising:
a p + -conducting anode emitter including an upper side adjacent an anode metallization provided at the front side of the high-voltage diode;
an anodal p-conducting zone provided beneath and adjacent the p + -conducting anode emitter;
a n − -conducting drift zone provided beneath and adjacent the anodal p-conducting zone so as to form a p-n junction;
an n-conducting zone provided beneath and adjacent the n − -conducting drift zone;
an n + -conducting cathode emitter provided beneath and adjacent the n-conducting zone; and having a lower side adjacent a cathode metallization provided at the rear side of the high-voltage diode; and
a first plurality of defects provided within the high-voltage diode and operable to reduce the charge carrier lifetime at the cathode side of the high-voltage diode, the first plurality of defects characterized by a defect concentration increasing from a predetermined concentration level at the n + -conducting cathode emitter to a local concentration peak level lying within a field stop region at a certain distance from the n + -conducting cathode emitter, the certain distance being a function of a range and/or dose of α-particles provided into the lower side of the n + -conducting cathode emitter.
2. The high-voltage diode of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second plurality of defects provided within the high-voltage diode and operable to reduce the charge carrier lifetime at the anode side of the high-voltage diode, the second plurality of defects characterized by a defect concentration increasing from a predetermined concentration level at the p + -conducting anode emitter to a local concentration peak level lying within the anodal p-conducting zone at a certain distance from p + -conducting anode emitter, the certain distance being a function of a range and/or dose of α-particles into the upper side of the p + -conducting anode emitter.
3. The high voltage diode of claim 2 , wherein the distance of the local concentration peak from the upper side of the p + -conducting anode emitter is approximately between 15 μm and 18 μm.