IP Library Granted Patent US 8,344,480
Granted Patent B2
US 8,344,480 · App. 12/571,155 · Granted Jan 1, 2013

Insulated gate bipolar transistor

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,344,480
App. No.
12/571,155
Granted
Jan 1, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A trench structure of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is formed as a trench net in a P region and extends into an N− layer. The trench net separates the P region into P wells and floating P layers. The P wells contact an emitter electrode while the floating P layers are not in direct contact with the emitter electrode. A gate formed of conductive material and having a surrounding insulation oxide layer is formed in the trench net. An N+ layer may be formed above each floating P layer under the gate. The floating P layers are isolated from the gate and are also not connected to the emitter electrode.

Claims (43)

1. An insulated gate bipolar transistor comprising:

a P+ layer formed over a collector electrode;

an N− layer formed over the P+ layer;

a P region formed over the N− layer;

a trench net formed in the P region, wherein the trench net separates the P region into P wells and floating P layers provided between the P wells;

an N+ source region formed in each upper corner of each P well;

an N+ layer formed over each floating P layer;

a gate formed in the trench net, wherein the gate is surrounded with an insulating oxide layer and is provided over the N+ layer and between the P wells; and

an emitter electrode provided over each P well.

2. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 1 , wherein the trench net extends into the N− layer between the floating P layers and the P wells.

3. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 1 , wherein the floating P layers are not connected to the emitter electrode.

4. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 1 , wherein the floating P layers are isolated from the gate by the insulating oxide layer.

5. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 1 , further comprising an N layer between the N− layer and the P+ layer.

6. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 1 , wherein the trench net is ladder shaped and comprises two longitudinal portions and a plurality of lateral portions formed between the longitudinal portions.

7. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 1 , wherein the floating P layers and the N+ layers are formed between the longitudinal portions and between adjacent lateral portions.

8. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 1 , wherein the trench net is ladder shaped and comprises a plurality of longitudinal portions, a plurality of first lateral portions formed between a pair of the longitudinal portions, and a plurality of second lateral portions formed between a different pair of the longitudinal portions.

9. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 8 , wherein the second lateral portions are offset from the first lateral portions.

10. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 8 , wherein the floating P layers and the N+ layers are formed between a pair of adjacent longitudinal portions and between a pair of adjacent first lateral portions.

11. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 1 , wherein the trench net is shaped as a rectangular lattice and comprises a plurality of longitudinal portions and a plurality of lateral portions, each lateral portion being connected to at least two longitudinal portions.

12. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 11 , wherein the lateral portions include discontinuous lateral portions.

13. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 11 , wherein the longitudinal portions include discontinuous longitudinal portions.

14. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 11 , wherein the floating P layers and the N+ layers are formed between a pair of longitudinal portions and between a pair of lateral portions.

15. An insulated gate bipolar transistor comprising:

a P+ layer formed over a collector electrode;

an N− layer formed over the P+ layer;

a P region formed over the N− layer;

a trench net formed in the P region, wherein the trench net separates the P region into P wells and floating P layers provided between the P wells; wherein the trench net is ladder shaped and comprises two longitudinal portions and a plurality of lateral portions formed between the longitudinal portions;

an N+ source region formed in each upper corner of each P well;

a gate formed in the trench net, wherein the gate is surrounded with an insulating oxide layer; and

an emitter electrode provided over each P well.

16. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 15 wherein the trench net extends into the N− layer between the floating P layers and the P wells.

17. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 15 wherein the floating P layers are not connected to the emitter electrode.

18. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 15 further comprising an N+ layer formed over each floating P layer.

19. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 18 wherein the gate is provided over the N+ layer and between the P wells.

20. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 18 wherein the floating P layers are electrically isolated from the gate by the insulating oxide layer.

21. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 20 further comprising an N layer between the N− layer and the P+ layer.

22. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 21 wherein the floating P layers and the N+ layers are formed between the longitudinal portions and between adjacent lateral portions.

23. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 18 wherein the floating P layers and the N+ layers are formed between a pair of adjacent longitudinal portions and between a pair of adjacent first lateral portions of the trench net.

24. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 15 wherein the trench net is ladder shaped and comprises a plurality of longitudinal portions, a plurality of first lateral portions formed between a pair of the longitudinal portions, and a plurality of second lateral portions formed between a different pair of the longitudinal portions.

25. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 24 wherein the second lateral portions are offset from the first lateral portions.

26. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 15 wherein the trench net is shaped as a rectangular lattice and comprises a plurality of longitudinal portions and a plurality of lateral portions, each lateral portion being connected to at least two longitudinal portions.

27. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 26 wherein the lateral portions include discontinuous lateral portions.

28. The insulated gate bipolar transistor of claim 27 wherein the longitudinal portions include discontinuous longitudinal portions.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2019
From: IXYS, LLC
To: LITTELFUSE, INC.
Reel/Frame 049056/0649 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 31, 2018
From: IXYS CORPORATION; IXYS, LLC
To: IXYS, LLC
Reel/Frame 045406/0618 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 5, 2009
From: SEOK, KYOUNG-WOOK; TSUKANOV, VLADIMIR
To: IXYS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 023328/0164 →