Oxygen inserted Si-layers for reduced substrate dopant outdiffusion in power devices

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a doped Si base substrate;

one or more device epitaxial layers formed over a main surface of the doped Si base substrate;

a diffusion barrier structure comprising alternating layers of Si and oxygen-doped Si formed in an upper part of the doped Si base substrate adjacent the main surface of the doped Si base substrate, in a lower part of the one or more device epitaxial layers adjacent the main surface of the doped Si base substrate, or in one or more additional epitaxial layers disposed between the main surface of the doped Si base substrate and the one or more device epitaxial layers; and

a gate formed above the diffusion barrier structure.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the diffusion barrier structure has one or more gaps.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the diffusion barrier structure is formed at an angle with respect to the main surface of the doped Si base substrate.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an additional diffusion barrier structure formed in the one or more device epitaxial layers and vertically spaced apart from the diffusion barrier structure, the additional diffusion barrier structure comprising alternating layers of Si and oxygen-doped Si.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein the gate is disposed in a gate trench formed above the diffusion barrier structure in the one or more device epitaxial layers and extending in a direction toward the main surface of the doped Si base substrate, and wherein the additional diffusion barrier structure abuts a sidewall of the gate trench.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein the gate is disposed in a gate trench formed above the diffusion barrier structure in the one or more device epitaxial layers and extending in a direction toward the main surface of the doped Si base substrate, and wherein the additional diffusion barrier structure has a gap along a lower part of the gate trench which contains a field electrode.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein the diffusion barrier structure and the additional diffusion barrier structure each have one or more gaps.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a drift zone formed in the one or more device epitaxial layers;

a body region above the drift zone and including a channel region;

a source region above the body region; and

a contact trench filled with an electrically conductive material which contacts the source region at a sidewall of the contact trench and a highly doped body contact region at a bottom of the contact trench,

wherein the diffusion barrier structure has a gap in the drift zone.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 , further comprising:

an additional diffusion barrier structure formed in the one or more device epitaxial layers and vertically spaced apart from the diffusion barrier structure, the additional diffusion barrier structure comprising alternating layers of Si and oxygen-doped Si,

wherein the gate is disposed in a gate trench formed above the diffusion barrier structure in the one or more device epitaxial layers and extending in a direction toward the main surface of the doped Si base substrate,

wherein the additional diffusion barrier structure has a gap along a lower part of the gate trench.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the additional diffusion barrier structure terminates before reaching the highly doped body contact region.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate is a planar gate insulated from a main surface of the one or more device epitaxial layers by a gate dielectric.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a MOS-gated diode region and a FET region are formed adjacent one another in the one or more device epitaxial layers.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the diffusion barrier structure is limited to the MOS-gated diode region.