IP Library Granted Patent US 10,910,481
Granted Patent B2
US 10,910,481 · App. 14/533,688 · Granted Feb 2, 2021

Semiconductor device with improved insulated gate

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,910,481
App. No.
14/533,688
Granted
Feb 2, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body and an insulated gate contact on a surface of the semiconductor body over an active channel in the semiconductor device. The insulated gate contact includes a channel mobility enhancement layer on the surface of the semiconductor body, a diffusion barrier layer over the channel mobility enhancement layer, and a dielectric layer over the diffusion barrier layer. By using the channel mobility enhancement layer in the insulated gate contact, the mobility of the semiconductor device is improved. Further, by using the diffusion barrier layer, the integrity of the gate oxide is retained, resulting in a robust semiconductor device with a low on-state resistance.

Claims (33)

1. A method of forming an insulated gate contact for a semiconductor device comprising:

providing a semiconductor body;

providing one or more junction implants in the semiconductor body;

providing a channel mobility enhancement layer over an active channel formed in the one or more junction implants in the semiconductor body, wherein the channel mobility enhancement layer is configured to increase a channel mobility of the semiconductor device;

providing a diffusion resistant layer on the channel mobility enhancement layer, wherein the diffusion resistant layer is resistant to diffusion of byproducts from the channel mobility enhancement layer;

oxidizing at least a portion of the diffusion resistant layer to form a dielectric layer; and

providing a bulk offset region over a portion of the semiconductor body that is between the semiconductor body and a portion of the channel mobility enhancement layer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a gate electrode over the oxidized portion of the diffusion resistant layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel mobility enhancement layer is one of potassium, rubidium, cesium, strontium, barium, lanthanum, scandium, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, and mixtures of the same.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the diffusion resistant layer is comprised of one or more of poly-silicon, aluminum, magnesium, and related elements which can form good dielectrics upon oxidation or nitridation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the diffusion resistant layer is comprised of one or more of poly-silicon, aluminum, magnesium, and related elements which can form good dielectrics upon oxidation or nitridation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor body is a wide bandgap semiconductor material.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising oxidizing a substantial portion of the diffusion resistant layer from the top-down to form a dielectric layer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a first diffusion barrier layer between the channel mobility enhancement layer and the diffusion resistant layer.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing a second diffusion barrier layer on the dielectric layer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the bulk offset region is laterally spaced from the active channel.

11. A method of forming an insulated gate contact for a semiconductor device comprising:

providing a semiconductor body;

providing one or more junction implants in the semiconductor body;

providing a channel mobility enhancement layer on a surface of the semiconductor body over an active channel formed in the one or more junction implants of the semiconductor body, wherein the channel mobility enhancement layer is configured to increase a channel mobility of the semiconductor device;

providing a first diffusion barrier layer on the channel mobility enhancement layer, wherein the first diffusion barrier layer is resistant to diffusion of byproducts from the channel mobility enhancement layer;

providing a dielectric layer on the first diffusion barrier layer;

providing a gate electrode on the dielectric layer;

providing a second diffusion barrier layer between the dielectric layer and the gate electrode; and

providing a bulk offset region over a portion of the semiconductor body that is between the semiconductor body and a portion of the channel mobility enhancement layer.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising oxidizing at least a portion of the first diffusion barrier layer to form a dielectric material.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the channel mobility enhancement layer is one of potassium, rubidium, cesium, strontium, barium, lanthanum, scandium, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, and mixtures of the same.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first diffusion barrier layer is one of silicon, aluminum, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, silicon nitride, and mixtures of the same.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the dielectric layer is one of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, and mixtures of the same.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the first diffusion barrier layer is one of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, silicon nitride, and mixtures of the same.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the semiconductor body is a wide bandgap semiconductor material.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing a diffusion resistant layer on the first diffusion barrier layer and oxidizing at least a portion of the diffusion resistant layer to form the dielectric layer, wherein the diffusion resistant layer comprises poly-silicon.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the bulk offset region is laterally spaced from the active channel.

Assignments (10)
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Mar 26, 2026
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 075280/0919 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0113 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COLLATERAL AT REEL/FRAME NO. 64185/0755 Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: WOLFSPEED, INC.
Reel/Frame 072989/0001 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0381 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0467 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0588 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2023
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 064185/0755 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 22, 2021
From: CREE, INC.
To: WOLFSPEED, INC.
Reel/Frame 057891/0880 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2015
From: CHENG, LIN
To: CREE, INC.
Reel/Frame 037004/0418 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2015
From: LICHTENWALNER, DANIEL JENNER; PALMOUR, JOHN WILLIAMS
To: CREE, INC.
Reel/Frame 036668/0612 →