IP Library Granted Patent US 9,496,391
Granted Patent B2
US 9,496,391 · App. 14/204,765 · Granted Nov 15, 2016

Termination region of a semiconductor device

Inventors: Joseph A. Yedinak (Mountain Top, PA); Richard Stokes (Shavertown, PA); Jason Higgs (Mountain Top, PA); Fred Session (Sandy, UT)
Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
H01L29/7827H01L21/02104H01L29/06H01L29/0649H01L29/404H01L29/407H01L29/4238H01L29/7811H01L29/7813H01L29/0638H01L29/42364
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,496,391
App. No.
14/204,765
Granted
Nov 15, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one general aspect, an apparatus can include a semiconductor region, and a trench defined within the semiconductor region. The trench can have a depth aligned along a vertical axis and have a length aligned along a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the vertical axis. The trench can have a first portion of the length included in a termination region of the semiconductor region and can have a second portion of the length included in an active region of the semiconductor region.

Claims (36)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a semiconductor region;

a trench defined within the semiconductor region, the trench having a depth aligned along a vertical axis and having a length aligned along a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the vertical axis, the trench having a first portion of the length included in a termination region of the semiconductor region and having a second portion of the length included in an active region of the semiconductor region;

a shield electrode disposed in the trench; and

a dielectric lining a bottom portion of the trench, the dielectric having a first portion disposed in the termination region of the semiconductor region and a second portion disposed in the active region of the semiconductor region, the first portion of the dielectric disposed in the termination region having a vertical thickness greater than a vertical thickness of the second portion of the dielectric disposed in the active region, the vertical thickness of the first portion of the dielectric extending between a bottom surface of the trench and a bottom surface of the shield electrode in the termination region, the vertical thickness of the second portion of the dielectric extending between the bottom surface of the trench and the bottom surface of the shield electrode in the active region.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the trench has a first width in the termination region aligned orthogonal to the vertical axis and aligned orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the trench has a second width in the active region aligned orthogonal to the vertical axis and aligned orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the first width of the trench is less than the second width of the trench.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the depth is a first depth in the active region, the trench has a second depth in the termination region that is shallower than the first depth.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the depth is a first depth in the active region, the trench has a second depth in the termination region that is shallower than the first depth, the trench has a third depth different than the first depth and different than the second depth.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the trench is a first trench,

the apparatus further comprising:

a second trench aligned parallel to the first trench; and

a third trench intersecting the first trench and intersecting the second trench such that the dielectric in the first trench is in contact with a dielectric disposed in the second trench and in

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the dielectric has a bottom surface at a depth that is a deeper than a depth of a bottom surface of the second portion of the dielectric.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the trench is a first trench and the dielectric is a first dielectric

the apparatus further comprising:

a second trench aligned in a direction parallel to the first trench; and

a second dielectric lining a bottom portion of the second trench lateral, in a direction perpendicular to the parallel direction, to the active region of the semiconductor region,

the second dielectric having a thickness substantially equal to the vertical thickness of the first portion of the first dielectric in the first trench.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a semiconductor region;

a first trench defined within the semiconductor region, the trench having a first portion included in a termination region of the semiconductor region and having a second portion included in an active region of the semiconductor region;

a dielectric lining a bottom portion of the trench, the dielectric having a first portion disposed in the termination region of the semiconductor region and a second portion disposed in the active region of the semiconductor region, the first portion of the dielectric disposed in the termination region having a thickness different than a thickness of the second portion of the dielectric disposed in the active region; and

a second trench aligned parallel to the first trench and having a profile intersecting a profile of the first trench, the first trench having a depth different than a depth of the second trench, the first trench and the second trench defining a single trench.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first trench is an active trench including a gate electrode and a shield electrode.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first trench includes a shield electrode and excludes a gate electrode.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second trench has a first portion aligned parallel to the first trench and the second trench has a second portion aligned perpendicular to the first trench,

the apparatus further comprising:

a dopant well region having an edge separated from the second portion of the trench.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first trench includes a gate electrode and a shield electrode, the shield electrode has a recessed portion in the active region and a vertically extending portion in the termination region.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second trench has a first portion aligned parallel to the first trench and the second trench has a second portion aligned perpendicular to the first trench,

the apparatus further comprising:

a protrusion dielectric portion in contact with a dielectric disposed in the second portion of the second trench.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second trench has a first portion aligned parallel to the first trench and the second trench has a second portion aligned perpendicular to the first trench,

the apparatus further comprising:

a gate electrode having an edge intersecting a profile of the second portion of the second trench; and

a source electrode having an edge intersecting a profile of the second portion of the second trench.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 058871, FRAME 0799 Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065653/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 040075, FRAME 0644 Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064070/0536 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2021
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058871/0799 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2021
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057969/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2021
From: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 057694/0374 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2016
From: YEDINAK, JOSEPH A.; STOKES, RICHARD; HIGGS, JASON; SESSION, FRED
To: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040139/0604 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 19, 2016
From: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040075/0644 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 61801253 · Mar 15, 2013
Provisional Application 61801272 · Mar 15, 2013
Related Publication 20140264569A1 · Sep 18, 2014