Power semiconductor devices having gate trenches and buried edge terminations and related methods

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor layer structure comprising a drift region that comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor material;

a termination structure in an upper portion of the drift region in a termination region of the semiconductor device, the termination structure comprising a plurality of termination elements that extend around a periphery of the device; and

a gate trench that extends through an upper surface of the semiconductor layer structure;

wherein the semiconductor layer structure comprises a semiconductor layer that extends above and covers a top surface of a first of the termination elements that is closest to the gate trench.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising a shielding pattern in an upper portion of the drift region in an active region of the semiconductor device.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , further comprising:

a gate insulation layer in the gate trench that at least partially covers a bottom surface and sidewalls of the gate trench;

a gate electrode in the gate trench on the gate insulation layer;

a first contact on the upper surface of the semiconductor layer structure; and

a second contact on a lower surface of the semiconductor layer structure,

wherein the upper portion of the drift region comprises a current spreading layer that has a doping concentration at least 3 times greater than a lower portion of the drift region, and

wherein a bottom of the shielding pattern extends farther down into the drift region than does the bottom surface of the gate trench.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , therein at least a portion of the semiconductor layer extends on the shielding pattern.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , herein the sem iconductor layer has a doping density of less than 1×10 16 /cm 3 .

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising a shielding pattern in an upper portion of the drift region in an active region of the semiconductor device and first and second well regions on opposed sides of the gate trench, wherein the drift region has a first conductivity type and the well regions have a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein a first portion of the first well region that is spaced apart from the gate trench has a first dopant concentration and a channel of the semiconductor device that is directly adjacent the gate trench has a second dopant concentration that is lower than the first dopant concentration.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein the first well region has a non-uniform dopant concentration of dopants of the second conductivity type along an axis that extends parallel to a lower surface of the semiconductor layer structure.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the drift region is doped with dopants having a first conductivity type and a portion of the semiconductor layer that is in the termination region is doped with dopants having the first conductivity type at a concentration of less than 1×10 15 /cm 3 .

10. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the drift region is doped with dopants having a first conductivity type and a portion of the semiconductor layer that is in the termination region is doped with dopants having a second conductivity type at a concentration of less than 1×10 15 /cm 3 .

11. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor layer covers respective top surfaces of all of the termination elements.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the termination elements are more heavily doped than the semiconductor layer so that the semiconductor layer does not significantly affect charge levels of the termination elements.

13. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor layer structure, the semiconductor layer structure comprising a drift region that comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor material doped with dopants having a first conductivity type;

a gate trench that extends through an upper surface of the semiconductor layer structure;

a first well region on a first side of the gate trench, the first well region doped with dopants having a second conductivity type;

a second well region on a second side of the gate trench that is opposite the first side, the second well region doped with dopants having the second conductivity type; and

a termination structure that comprises a plurality of termination elements that are doped with dopants having the second conductivity type in an upper portion of the drift region,

wherein a channel of the semiconductor device that is between the first well region and the first side of the gate trench has a lower concentration of the second conductivity type dopants than the first well region,

wherein the semiconductor layer structure comprises a semiconductor layer in a termination region of the semiconductor device that extends over a top surface of at least some of the termination elements,

wherein the termination elements are more heavily doped than the semiconductor layer in the termination region of the semiconductor device so that the semiconductor layer does not significantly affect charge levels of the termination elements, and

wherein each of the plurality of termination elements extends around a periphery of the semiconductor device.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the semiconductor layer in the termination region is doped with dopants having the second conductivity type, wherein the semiconductor layer directly contacts a side of the first well region that is opposite the gate trench, and wherein the semiconductor layer covers upper surfaces of all of the termination elements.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the semiconductor layer in the termination region has a doping density of the second conductivity type dopants of less than 1×10 16 /cm 3 .

16. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , further comprising:

a first shielding pattern doped with dopants having a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type in an upper portion of the drift region below the first well region; and

a second shielding pattern doped with dopants having the second conductivity type in the upper portion of the drift region below the second well region,

wherein a bottom surface of the first shielding pattern extends farther down into the drift region than does a bottom surface of the gate trench, and wherein the semiconductor layer directly contacts upper surfaces of the termination elements.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of the semiconductor layer extends on the first shielding pattern and/or the second shielding pattern.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the first well region comprises a first portion that is doped with second conductivity type dopants at a first concentration and a second portion that is doped with second conductivity type dopants at a second concentration that exceeds the first concentration by at least a factor of five, wherein the second portion extends from a top surface of the first well region to a bottom surface of the first well region.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the semiconductor layer in the termination region has a doping density of the second conductivity type dopants of less than 1×10 15 /cm 3 .

20. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor layer structure, the semiconductor layer structure comprising a drift region that comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor material doped with dopants having a first conductivity type;

a gate trench that extends through an upper surface of the semiconductor layer structure;

a first well region on a first side of the gate trench, the first well region doped with dopants having a second conductivity type;

a second well region on a second side of the gate trench that is opposite the first side, the second well region doped with dopants having the second conductivity type; and

a termination structure that comprises a plurality of termination elements that are doped with dopants having the second conductivity type in an upper portion of the drift region,

wherein a channel of the semiconductor device that is between the first well region and the first side of the gate trench has a lower concentration of the second conductivity type dopants than the first well region,

wherein the semiconductor layer structure comprises a semiconductor layer in a termination region of the semiconductor device that extends over a top surface of at least some of the termination elements,

wherein the termination elements are more heavily doped than the semiconductor layer in the termination region of the semiconductor device so that the semiconductor layer does not significantly affect charge levels of the termination elements, and

wherein the semiconductor layer in the termination region is doped with dopants having the second conductivity type, wherein the semiconductor layer directly contacts a side of the first well region that is opposite the gate trench, and wherein the semiconductor layer covers upper surfaces of all of the termination elements.

21. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor layer structure, the semiconductor layer structure comprising a drift region that comprises a wide band-gap semiconductor material doped with dopants having a first conductivity type;

a gate trench that extends through an upper surface of the semiconductor layer structure;

a first well region on a first side of the gate trench, the first well region doped with dopants having a second conductivity type;

a second well region on a second side of the gate trench that is opposite the first side, the second well region doped with dopants having the second conductivity type; and

a termination structure that comprises a plurality of termination elements that are doped with dopants having the second conductivity type in an upper portion of the drift region,

wherein a channel of the semiconductor device that is between the first well region and the first side of the gate trench has a lower concentration of the second conductivity type dopants than the first well region,

wherein the semiconductor layer structure comprises a semiconductor layer in a termination region of the semiconductor device that extends over a top surface of at least some of the termination elements,

wherein the termination elements are more heavily doped than the semiconductor layer in the termination region of the semiconductor device so that the semiconductor layer does not significantly affect charge levels of the termination elements, and

wherein the first well region comprises a first portion that is doped with second conductivity type dopants at a first concentration and a second portion that is doped with second conductivity type dopants at a second concentration that exceeds the first concentration by at least a factor of five, wherein the second portion extends from a top surface of the first well region to a bottom surface of the first well region.