IP Library Granted Patent US 9,922,864
Granted Patent B2
US 9,922,864 · App. 15/452,592 · Granted Mar 20, 2018

Trench separation diffusion for high voltage device

Inventors: Elmar Wisotzki (Darmstadt, DE); Christoph Koerber (Ober-Ramstadt, DE)
Assignee: IXYS Corporation
H01L21/761H01L21/223H01L21/762H01L21/763H01L21/76224H01L21/76229H01L21/76237H01L21/78H01L29/0619H01L29/0834H01L29/74H01L29/745H01L29/7395
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,922,864
App. No.
15/452,592
Granted
Mar 20, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A manufacturable and economically viable edge termination structure allows a semiconductor device to withstand a very high reverse blocking voltage (for example, 8500 volts) without suffering breakdown. A P type peripheral aluminum diffusion region extends around the bottom periphery of a thick die. The peripheral aluminum diffusion region extends upward from the bottom surface of the die, extending into N- type bulk silicon. A deep peripheral trench extends around the upper periphery of the die. The deep trench extends from the topside of the die down toward the peripheral aluminum diffusion region. A P type sidewall doped region extends laterally inward from the inner sidewall of the trench, and extends laterally outward from the outer sidewall of the trench. The P type sidewall doped region joins with the P type peripheral aluminum diffusion region, thereby forming a separation edge diffusion structure that surrounds the active area of the die.

Claims (33)

1. A method of manufacture comprising:

forming a peripheral aluminum diffused region of P type semiconductor material that extends upward into a semiconductor wafer from a bottom semiconductor surface of the wafer, wherein the semiconductor wafer is at least six hundred microns thick and is of N type bulk semiconductor material;

forming a peripheral trench down into the semiconductor wafer from a top semiconductor surface of the wafer, wherein the peripheral trench has vertical inner sidewalls, vertical outer sidewalls, and a bottom, and wherein the peripheral aluminum diffused region and the peripheral trench extend around an active area of the wafer;

forming a sidewall doped region of P type semiconductor material that extends laterally inwardly from the vertical inner sidewalls toward the active area, wherein the sidewall doped region of P type semiconductor material joins the peripheral aluminum region of P type semiconductor material so that P type semiconductor material extends contiguously and vertically a distance of at least six hundred microns from the top semiconductor surface of the wafer to the bottom semiconductor surface of the wafer;

filling the peripheral trench with a solid trench fill material; and

singulating the wafer thereby forming a semiconductor device die having outer edges, wherein the peripheral trench extends along a periphery of the semiconductor device die, wherein an amount of N type bulk semiconductor material is disposed between the peripheral trench and outer edges of the die, and wherein the peripheral aluminum diffused region extends upward from the bottom semiconductor surface a distance of at least one hundred microns into the semiconductor device die.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral aluminum diffused region extends laterally to the outer edges of the semiconductor device die.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying a malleable foil to the bottom semiconductor surface of the wafer prior to the singulating of the wafer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bottom semiconductor surface of the semiconductor device die is not entirely planar but rather has a shallow peripheral groove.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device die comprises a semiconductor device, and wherein the semiconductor device has a forward blocking withstand voltage of at least 8000 volts and also has a reverse blocking withstand voltage of at least 8000 volts.

6. A method of manufacture comprising: forming a peripheral aluminum diffused region of P type semiconductor material that extends upward into a semiconductor wafer from a bottom semiconductor surface of the wafer, wherein the semiconductor wafer is at least six hundred microns thick and is of N type bulk semiconductor material; forming a peripheral trench down into the semiconductor wafer from a top semiconductor surface of the wafer, wherein the peripheral trench has vertical inner sidewalls, vertical outer sidewalls, and a bottom, and wherein the peripheral aluminum diffused region and the peripheral trench extend around an active area of the wafer; forming a sidewall doped region of P type semiconductor material that extends laterally inwardly from the vertical inner sidewalls toward the active area, wherein the sidewall doped region of P type semiconductor material joins the peripheral aluminum region of P type semiconductor material so that P type semiconductor material extends contiguously and vertically a distance of at least eight hundred microns from the top semiconductor surface of the wafer to the bottom semiconductor surface of the wafer; filling the peripheral trench with a solid trench fill material; and singulating the wafer thereby forming a semiconductor device die having outer edges, wherein the peripheral trench extends along a periphery of the semiconductor device die, and wherein an amount of N type bulk semiconductor material is disposed between the peripheral trench and outer edges of the die.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the peripheral aluminum diffused region extends laterally to the outer edges of the semiconductor device die.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

applying a malleable foil to the bottom semiconductor surface of the wafer prior to the singulating of the wafer.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the bottom semiconductor surface of the semiconductor device die is not entirely planar but rather has a shallow peripheral groove.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the semiconductor device die comprises a semiconductor device, and wherein the semiconductor device has a forward blocking withstand voltage of at least 8000 volts and also has a reverse blocking withstand voltage of at least 8000 volts.

11. A method of manufacture comprising:

forming a peripheral aluminum diffused region of P type semiconductor material that extends upward into a semiconductor wafer from a bottom semiconductor surface of the wafer;

forming a peripheral trench down into the semiconductor wafer from a top semiconductor surface of the wafer, wherein the peripheral trench has vertical inner sidewalls, vertical outer sidewalls, and a bottom, and wherein the peripheral aluminum diffused region and the peripheral trench extend around an active area of the wafer;

forming a sidewall doped region of P type semiconductor material that extends from the vertical inner sidewalls toward the active area;

filling the peripheral trench with a solid trench fill material; and

singulating the wafer thereby forming a semiconductor device die having outer edges, wherein the peripheral trench extends along a periphery of the semiconductor device die, and wherein an amount of N type bulk semiconductor material is disposed between the peripheral trench and outer edges of the die.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a diffusion time required to form the peripheral aluminum diffused region of P type semiconductor material is less than two hundred hours.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the peripheral trench extends downward from the top semiconductor surface a distance A, and wherein the distance A is more than half of the semiconductor device die thickness.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sidewall doped region of P type semiconductor material joins the peripheral aluminum region of P type semiconductor material so that P type semiconductor material extends from the top semiconductor surface of the wafer to the bottom semiconductor surface of the wafer.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the semiconductor wafer is at least six hundred microns thick, and wherein the semiconductor wafer is of N type bulk semiconductor material.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the peripheral aluminum diffused region extends upward from the bottom semiconductor surface a distance of at least one hundred microns into the semiconductor device die.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the peripheral aluminum diffused region extends laterally to the outer edges of the semiconductor device die.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

applying a malleable foil to the bottom semiconductor surface of the wafer prior to the singulating of the wafer.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the bottom semiconductor surface of the semiconductor device die has a shallow peripheral groove.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the semiconductor device die comprises a semiconductor device, wherein the semiconductor device has a forward blocking withstand voltage of at least 8000 volts, and wherein the semiconductor device has a reverse blocking withstand voltage of at least 8000 volts.

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 045406/0670 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2017
From: WISOTZKI, ELMAR; KOERBER, CHRISTOPH
To: IXYS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 041489/0756 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14948156 · Nov 20, 2015
Related Publication 20170178947A1 · Jun 22, 2017