IP Library Granted Patent US 8,304,814
Granted Patent B2
US 8,304,814 · App. 13/172,054 · Granted Nov 6, 2012

Power semiconductor device

Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,304,814
App. No.
13/172,054
Granted
Nov 6, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bipolar power semiconductor device is provided with an emitter electrode on an emitter side and a collector electrode on a collector side. The device has a trench gate electrode and a structure with a plurality of layers of different conductivity types in the following order: at least one n doped source region, a p doped base layer, which surrounds the at least one source region, an n doped enhancement layer, a p doped additional well layer, an additional n doped enhancement layer, an additional p doped well layer, an n doped drift layer and a p doped collector layer. The trench gate electrode has a gate bottom, which is located closer to the collector side than the additional enhancement layer bottom.

Claims (72)

1. A bipolar power semiconductor device comprising:

an emitter electrode arranged on an emitter side;

a collector electrode arranged on a collector side, which lies opposite to the emitter side;

a trench gate electrode and a structure with a plurality of layers of different conductivity types, the trench gate electrode and the layers being arranged in planes parallel to the emitter side and each comprising a bottom, which is arranged in a maximum distance from the emitter side, to which the gate electrode or the layer extends, respectively;

at least one source region of a first conductivity type which is arranged on the emitter side and which contacts the emitter electrode;

a base layer of a second conductivity type which is arranged on the emitter side, surrounds the at least one source region and contacts the emitter electrode and the at least one source region;

a collector layer of the second conductivity type which is arranged on the collector side and which contacts the collector electrode;

a drift layer of the first conductivity type arranged between the base layer and the collector layer;

an insulation layer electrically insulating the trench gate electrode from the source region, the base layer and the drift layer, the trench gate electrode being arranged in the same plane as the base layer, and the trench gate electrode including a gate bottom;

an enhancement layer of the first conductivity type and a well layer of the second conductivity type, which are arranged between the base layer and the drift layer, the enhancement layer adjoining the base layer towards the collector side, and the well layer adjoining the enhancement layer towards the collector side;

a first additional well layer of the second conductivity type which adjoins the drift layer towards the emitter side; and

a first additional enhancement layer of the first conductivity type which adjoins the first additional well layer towards the emitter side and which extends to an additional enhancement layer bottom,

wherein the gate bottom of the trench gate electrode is located closer to the collector side than the additional enhancement layer bottom.

2. The device according to claim 1 , comprising:

at least one set of at least one second additional enhancement layer and at least one second additional well layer,

wherein the at least one second additional enhancement layer and the at least one second additional well layer are stacked between the well layer and the first additional enhancement layer, and

wherein for each set, the at least one second additional enhancement layer is arranged closer to the emitter side than the at least one second additional well layer.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one second additional enhancement layer has a higher doping concentration than the drift layer.

4. The device according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the enhancement layer and the first additional enhancement layer have a higher doping concentration than the drift layer.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein a doping concentration of the first additional well layer is measured between the first additional enhancement layer bottom and at maximum up to the gate bottom, and

wherein each enhancement layer and each well layer have the same doping concentration.

6. The device according to claim 4 , wherein:

ΣN pi t pi =kΣN ni t ni

Nni is a doping concentration of an enhancement layer;

Nni is a doping concentration of a well layer;

tpi, tni is a thickness of the enhancement and well layers, respectively;

k is a factor between 0.5 and 2 or between 0.67 and 1.5; and

a thickness and doping concentration of the first additional well layer is measured between the first additional enhancement layer bottom and at maximum up to the gate bottom.

7. The device according to claim 2 , comprising:

an anode layer of the first conductivity type which has a higher doping concentration than the drift layer, and which is arranged in the same plane and sequential to the collector layer.

8. The device according to claim 7 , comprising:

a buffer layer of the first conductivity type which is arranged between the drift layer and the collector layer.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the enhancement layer and the first additional enhancement layer have a higher doping concentration than the drift layer.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein a doping concentration of the first additional well layer is measured between the first additional enhancement layer bottom and at maximum up to the gate bottom, and

wherein each enhancement layer and each well layer have the same doping concentration.

11. The device according to claim 9 , wherein:

ΣN pi t pi =kΣN ni t ni

Nni is a doping concentration of an enhancement layer;

Nni is a doping concentration of a well layer;

tpi, tni is a thickness of the enhancement and well layers, respectively;

k is a factor between 0.5 and 2 or between 0.67 and 1.5; and

a thickness and doping concentration of the first additional well layer is measured between the first additional enhancement layer bottom and at maximum up to the gate bottom.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first additional well layer extends to an additional well layer bottom, the additional well layer bottom being arranged closer to the collector side than the gate bottom, and

wherein the device comprises a connection layer of the first conductivity type arranged to adjoin and thereby connect the insulation layer and the drift layer.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the connection layer is arranged in the same plane as the first additional well layer within an area between the gate electrode and the drift layer.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the first additional well layer extends into an area between the gate electrode and the drift layer.

15. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the first additional well layer is limited to an area lateral to the insulation layer and adjoining the insulation layer.

16. The device according to claim 15 , comprising:

an anode layer of the first conductivity type which has a higher doping concentration than the drift layer, and which is arranged in the same plane and sequential to the collector layer.

17. The device according to claim 16 , comprising:

a buffer layer of the first conductivity type which is arranged between the drift layer and the collector layer.

18. The device according to claim 12 , wherein a thickness of the first additional well layer is measured between the first additional enhancement layer bottom and at maximum up to the gate bottom, and

wherein each enhancement layer and each well layer have the same thickness.

19. The device according to claim 1 , comprising:

an anode layer of the first conductivity type which has a higher doping concentration than the drift layer, and which is arranged in the same plane and sequential to the collector layer.

20. The device according to claim 19 , comprising:

a buffer layer of the first conductivity type which is arranged between the drift layer and the collector layer.

21. The device according to claim 1 , comprising:

a buffer layer of the first conductivity type which is arranged between the drift layer and the collector layer.

22. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first additional well layer is measured between the first additional enhancement layer bottom and at maximum up to the gate bottom, and

each enhancement layer and each well layer have the same thickness.

23. The device according to claim 1 , wherein

a doping concentration of the first additional well layer is measured between the first additional enhancement layer bottom and at maximum up to the gate bottom, and

each enhancement layer and each well layer have the same doping concentration.

24. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:

ΣN pi t pi =kΣN ni t ni

Nni is a doping concentration of an enhancement layer;

Nni is a doping concentration of a well layer;

tpi, tni is a thickness of the enhancement and well layers, respectively;

k is a factor between 0.5 and 2 or between 0.67 and 1.5; and

a thickness and doping concentration of the first additional well layer is measured between the first additional enhancement layer bottom and at maximum up to the gate bottom.

25. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is made on a wafer comprised of one of silicon, GaN and SiC.

Assignments (5)
MERGER Recorded Nov 13, 2023
From: HITACHI ENERGY SWITZERLAND AG
To: HITACHI ENERGY LTD
Reel/Frame 065549/0576 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 31, 2021
From: ABB POWER GRIDS SWITZERLAND AG
To: HITACHI ENERGY SWITZERLAND AG
Reel/Frame 058666/0540 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2020
From: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
To: ABB POWER GRIDS SWITZERLAND AG
Reel/Frame 052916/0001 →
MERGER Recorded Dec 26, 2019
From: ABB RESEARCH LTD.
To: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
Reel/Frame 051419/0309 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2011
From: BAUER, FRIEDHELM
To: ABB RESEARCH LTD
Reel/Frame 026887/0940 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 10167819 · Jun 30, 2010 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120001199A1 · Jan 5, 2012