IP Library Granted Patent US 11,916,134
Granted Patent B2
US 11,916,134 · App. 17/135,436 · Granted Feb 27, 2024

Regrowth uniformity in GaN vertical devices

Inventors: Clifford Drowley (Santa Clara, CA); Ray Milano (Santa Clara, CA); Subhash Srinivas Pidaparthi (Santa Clara, CA); Andrew P. Edwards (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: NEXGEN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
H01L29/66924H01L21/0254H01L21/02639H01L21/308H01L21/30612H01L29/2003H01L29/66909H01L29/8083
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,916,134
App. No.
17/135,436
Granted
Feb 27, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, a drift layer of the first conductivity type coupled to the semiconductor substrate, a fin array having a first row of fins and a second row of fins on the drift layer, and a space between the first row of fins and the second row of fins. The first row of fins includes a plurality of first elongated fins arranged in parallel to each other along a first row direction and separated by a first distance, and the second row of fins includes a plurality of second elongated fins arranged in parallel to each other along a second row direction and separated by a second distance.

Claims (38)

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type;

a drift layer of the first conductivity type coupled to the semiconductor substrate;

a fin array comprising a plurality of rows of fins on the drift layer, the plurality of rows of fins including a first row of fins and a second row of fins, the first row of fins comprising a plurality of first elongated fins arranged in parallel to each other along a first row direction and separated by a first distance, and the second row of fins comprising a plurality of second elongated fins arranged in parallel to each other along a second row direction and separated by a second distance equal to the first distance;

a gate layer of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type on the drift layer and surrounding each of the plurality of first elongated fins and each of the plurality of second elongated fins; and

a space equal to the first distance between the first row of fins and the second row of fins.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising a metal gate layer on the gate layer.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the gate layer has an upper surface substantially flush with an upper surface of the fin array.

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

a plurality of source contacts, each coupled to an upper surface of each fin of the fin array;

one or more gate contacts formed from the metal gate layer and coupled to the gate layer; and

a drain contact coupled to the semiconductor substrate.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first elongated fins and the plurality of second elongated fins have equal length.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first elongated fins and the plurality of second elongated fins are offset from each other by an amount equal to the space.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first elongated fins and the plurality of second elongated fins are arranged in a plurality of columns, a first portion of the first elongated fins and a first portion of the second elongated fins in a first column having a length different than a length of a second portion of the first elongated fins and a second portion of the second elongated fins in a second column adjacent to the first column.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of first elongated fins and a first portion of the plurality of second elongated fins disposed in a center region of the semiconductor device has a length greater than a second portion of the plurality of first elongated fins and a second portion of the plurality of second elongated fins disposed in an edge region.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of first elongated fins and a first portion of the plurality of second elongated fins disposed in a center region of the semiconductor device has a length smaller than a second portion of the plurality of first elongated fins and a second portion of the plurality of second elongated fins disposed in an edge region.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein:

a ratio between a fin width and a pitch between two adjacent fins is in the range between about 0.08 and 0.13; and

a ratio between a fin length and the pitch between two adjacent fins is in the range between 5 and 25.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a ratio between a fin length and a fin width is >50:1.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein each fin in the first row of fins and the second row of fins has a length in a range between 10 μm and 60 μm, and a width in a range between 0.15 μm and 0.7 μm.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type;

a drift layer of the first conductivity type coupled to the semiconductor substrate;

a fin array comprising a plurality of rows of fins on the drift layer, the plurality of rows of fins including a first row of fins and a second row of fins, the first row of fins comprising a plurality of first elongated fins arranged in parallel to each other along a first row direction and separated by a first distance, and the second row of fins comprising a plurality of second elongated fins arranged in parallel to each other along a second row direction and separated by a second distance, wherein each of the first distance and the second distance is non-uniform varying from a small distance in an edge region of the semiconductor substrate to a large distance in a center region of the semiconductor substrate;

a gate layer of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type on the drift layer and surrounding each of the plurality of first elongated fins and each of the plurality of second elongated fins; and

a space between the first row of fins and the second row of fins.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , further comprising a metal gate layer on the gate layer.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein the gate layer has an upper surface substantially flush with an upper surface of the fin array.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , further comprising:

a plurality of source contacts, each coupled to an upper surface of each fin of the fin array;

one or more gate contacts formed from the metal gate layer and coupled to the gate layer; and

a drain contact coupled to the semiconductor substrate.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of first elongated fins and the plurality of second elongated fins have equal length.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of first elongated fins and the plurality of second elongated fins are offset from each other by an amount equal to the space.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of first elongated fins and the plurality of second elongated fins are arranged in a plurality of columns, a first portion of the first elongated fins and a first portion of the second elongated fins in a first column having a length different than a length of a second portion of the first elongated fins and a second portion of the second elongated fins in a second column adjacent to the first column.

20. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of first elongated fins and a first portion of the plurality of second elongated fins disposed in a center region of the semiconductor device has a length greater than a second portion of the plurality of first elongated fins and a second portion of the plurality of second elongated fins disposed in an edge region.

Assignments (5)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE ASSIGNOR NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 66783 FRAME: 161. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Apr 24, 2024
From: NEXGEN (ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS), LLC
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 067217/0886 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Apr 24, 2024
From: NEXGEN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
To: NEXGEN (ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS), LLC
Reel/Frame 067852/0662 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2024
From: NEXGEN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 067172/0711 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2024
From: NEXGEN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 066783/0161 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2021
From: DROWLEY, CLIFFORD; MILANO, RAY; PIDAPARTHI, SUBHASH SRINIVAS; EDWARDS, ANDREW P.
To: NEXGEN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 056566/0584 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62956467 · Jan 2, 2020
Related Publication 20210210624A1 · Jul 8, 2021